


King of Kings, Ruling over Rulers (REWRITE)

by DarthImperius



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Acclamation, Alternate History, Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Royalty, Byzantine Empire, Byzantium, Constantinople, Discrimination, Dumbledore Bashing, Fictional Religion & Theology, Gen, Harry is Lord Potter, House of Habsburg-Anemas, Imperial Houses, Independent Harry, Independent Harry Potter, Kingdom of Portugal, Manipulative Dumbledore, Nobility, Original Character(s), Politics, Polytheism, Portugal - Freeform, Rating May Change, Religion, Rewrite, Roman Empire, Romance is not a major plot point, Royal Houses, Royalty, Russia, Russian Empire, Tags May Change, Wizarding Traditions
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-06-14
Updated: 2016-01-31
Packaged: 2018-04-04 09:14:32
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 25
Words: 72,765
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4132074
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DarthImperius/pseuds/DarthImperius
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>While empires may rise and fall, one way or another, their spirit will always live on. But there are others that survive, and their spirit, their legacy shines across the world. But can the legacy of Rome survive the trials that shall come?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Midnight

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: Harry Potter belongs to J.K. Rowling

* * *

"Normal Speech"

" _Thoughts"_

" _ **Foreign Language"**_

* * *

_**Chapter 1 – Midnight** _

**Hogwarts School, Scotland (U.K.)**

It was near midnight, but the time was of no importance, for the Tri-Wizard Tournament was finally over.

While sitting on the shore of the Black Lake, with the small area around him illuminated by his wand, Harry could not help but feel as if instead of a burden being lifted of him, a much heavier one was placed on top of him. Voldemort had returned, Cedric Diggory was dead, and Minister Fudge was clearly going to cause trouble for him, considering his attitude in the Hospital Wing. It didn't help that Dumbledore was as cryptic as ever. He felt a strange anger overflow him, before taking a deep breath and trying to calm his tired mind. This was not the time for sudden emotions and feelings. But even so, in the brief moment of mental peace, amidst the preoccupations of the Tournament, and the whole issue with Voldemort, a small flame was lit on Harry's mind, and it allowed him to question a few things that had been left unquestioned over the years. And every single one of those questions was connected by a single name.

Dumbledore.

The presumably most powerful wizard in the entire world, arguably more powerful than Merlin himself, who held many political titles of great importance, and according to many, was the unquestionable 'Lord and Leader of the Light'. For some reason, that title sounded somewhat blasphemous.

The fact that the next day he would be leaving the school was somewhat of a relief, if not for the fact that he would be returning to the Dursleys. And if he was correct, then the next school year would bring more problems for him, much like the previous ones. For the first year, he had Voldemort after the Philosopher's Stone, followed by the second year in which the supposedly dead wizard was paired with a giant snake. For the third year, the world must have thought it would have been funny to throw a mass-murderer at him, who turned out to be innocent, and a countless number of Dementors. And now, it was he who had been thrown, except it was at dragons, crazy merpeople, and a seemingly semi-sentient maze filled with creatures, followed by Voldemort.

Things about those events, Harry could not help but start to think that there were many things that were left unexplained. Why in the name of sanity were the traps and challenges that protected the Philosopher's stone easy enough for a group of three first years? And during the second year, why did the professors allowed the entire school to shun him about the whole Parseltongue incident? Not to mention why Dumbledore or anyone else didn't realize that Slytherin, a man who had a reputation of being associated with snakes, could have chosen a snake to protect his chamber?

And why didn't Dumbledore, who was the Chief Warlock of the Wizengamot, gave Sirius a trial? Not to mention that he discovered before the third task that every Champion had at least three days to withdraw from the competition. Then why was he told that he had to compete without any alternative?

The more he thought about it, the more his years at Hogwarts seemed like a very complex assassination plot, or some sort of very sick test.

But now was not the time to think about that. Such matters could be solved later. Now, Harry wanted to relax slightly, and as he sat in front of a large rock, he removed a book from a small bag he had with him. The book was clearly a few centuries old, and on its front was written ' _Encyclopædia Veneficia: Volume III'._ _The complete collection of the_ _Encyclopædia Veneficia_ _had been published in 1890 by Obscurus Books, and it was Harry's main source of information regarding the history of the entire Wizarding World. A single page of one of these book taught more than the History of Magic Professor would in his entire ghostly existence. And out of all the subjects, Harry had been very interested in one, and he began to read it one more time._

* * *

_ The Roman Empire _

_The successor of the Roman Republic, the state known as the Roman Empire (Imperium Romanum in Latin, and_ _Basileía Rhōmaíōn in Greek)_ _was founded in the year of 27 CE, when the Senate of the Republic gave Gaius Octavius the position of Princeps with proconsular imperium, thus beginning the period of history known today as the Principate, characterized by the efforts of the reigning emperors to preserve the illusion of the continuance of the Roman Republic. It was followed by the period known as the Dominate, started by Emperor Diocletian, who declined the use of the title of Princeps, and became the first Emperor to be addressed as Domine (translated as either master or lord). To modern historians, the Dominated evolved to become a system very similar to that of the Western European Absolutism, although hundreds of years earlier._

_(…)_

_The capital of the Empire changed places several times, from Rome to Ravenna (West) and from Rome to Constantinople (East). While the Ottoman Turks captured the muggle Constantinople, the magical Constantinople was not affected by the conflict, since it is located in a gigantic cavern under the Bosphorus Strait. The Roman Empire was among the most powerful economic, cultural, political and military forces in the world of its time, and still is today. It was dissolved in the muggle world in 476 CE (Western Empire) and in 1453 CE (Eastern Empire)._

_The authority of the Empire is challenged by the International Confederation of Wizards, which was founded after the attempted coup by a northern French family, who was joined by the Ministry of Magic of the British Isles, due to family connections. Within the Empire, the practice of the Perennial cult has been a legal tradition for centuries, not counting the pre-Empire practice of the same Cult. Its muggle counterpart, the Hellenistic religion, has many elements of the Perennial mythology. However, within the International Confederation, the practice of the cult has been discouraged, and there are talks of outlawing it, in an attempt of making the Wizarding World more appealing to muggle-born wizards and witches, who come to our world, with their own religions. In fact, many of the Perennial-based cults around the world have also many influences from the muggle religions, such as Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, Shintoism and Zoroastrianism._

_Excluding the United States of America, the Northern French Confederation and Mexico, every single other magical state is a member of the Roman Empire, including the Goblin Conglomeration which is located in Antarctica. In all, the Roman Empire serves as the spiritual successor to the Atlantean Empire, which once reigned over a large part of the ancient world, reaching as far as Thailand in the East, and the entire American continent on the west._

_(…)_

_Although while the magical empire still exists today, the Imperial Throne remains empty, and the Empire is ruled by the Regency Council, composed of wizards from states that belong to the Empire. The current head of the regency council is Michael Gabras, who became a member of the Council in 1875. (…) The last Roman Emperor was Constantine XI Palaiologos, who died during the Fall of Constantinople, which occurred in the muggle world._

_While most general information regarding the Roman Empire is found in muggle and magical history books, it is not common knowledge that only ten Roman Emperors were muggles, amongst them Theodosius I. The rest were either wizards or squibs._

_(…)_

* * *

As he read the chapter about the Roman Empire, Harry noticed a shift in the atmosphere near him. He then heard a strange sound coming from his right. Looking at where he had heard the sound coming from, Harry saw what looked like a shape appearing from the air, while strange cracks began to appear in front of it. Harry rose, and took a few steps back, pointing his was at the disturbance. And then suddenly, it was as if the very air had been shattered in countless pieces, and where the shape once was, was now a goblin, who was staring at the wizard in front of him.

"I assume you are the human known as Harry Potter?" asked the goblin in a strange accent to the startled Harry.

It took him a few seconds to compose himself, and he scolded himself mentally for his near lack of reaction.

"Y-Yes I am." he answered "Who are you and how did you just appear in here? Apparition is not possible inside Hogwarts."

"I am Arkus. Head of the Inheritance Department of the Main Branch of Gringotts in Constantinople" answered the goblin in a strange accent "Since you are near the borders of the wards of this place, then it was easier to break them in this location, which allowed me to transport myself to here But the reason I am here, is because you have been summoned by Gringott IV, the Supreme Director of Gringotts, and also the Regency Council of the Roman Empire."

At that statement Harry gaped. Not only due to being summoned by the Supreme Director of Gringotts and the Regency Council, but also due to the fact that he had been reading about the Empire earlier.

"Why have I been summoned?" asked Harry both nervous and suspicious of the goblin in front of him. He wasn't sure if it was a good idea to trust someone who could break the wards of Hogwarts.

Arkus frowned. "I will be honest with you, we have been trying to contact you since your parents died, but we could not attempt any kind of extraction due to the threat of war. We have also tried to send letters to you, somehow they were all returned, making us suspect that there is a mail ward keyed to you."

The goblin removed a small stone from one of his pockets. "I assume you are familiar with portkeys Mr. Potter?"

Harry eyed the Goblin with suspicion "I am. And what reason do I have to trust you?"

"None Mr. Potter, but I swear upon my life and magic that this portkey will bring you to the Gringotts of Constantinople, and no harm shall come to you there." And as soon as Arkus said those words, a bright golden glow surrounded the goblin, disappearing after a few seconds.

Even though he did not know the basis of a magical oath, Harry somehow knew that the goblin was saying the truth. Harry placed the book back inside the bag, grabbed his invisibility cloak, and grabbed the stone that Arkus was holding. Soon, the area around the Black Lake was empty of any sentient life. And in Hogwarts, a cupboard filled with strange instruments blew up, causing extreme collateral damage to the furniture around it, while strangely enough, leaving the paintings unharmed.

* * *

**Gringotts Bank, Kosmídion District, Constantinople, Thrace**

Inside a large circular room in the depths of Gringotts, illuminated by magical fire, was a group of wizards, waiting for a certain wizard to arrive. They did not need to wait any longer, as out of nowhere a young wizard and a goblin appeared. While the goblin managed to keep himself from falling, the wizard didn't.

"I hate portkeys." mumbled Harry while standing up. His eyes landed on a circular table in the middle of the room.

Sitting around it were a group of five wizards, each dressed in clothes that had clear cultural differences. When they saw that Harry had arrived, the five got up from the chairs, and one of them addressed the young wizard.

" **Greetings Mr. Potter"**


	2. The Magnificent Story of the Politics Involving Harry Potter's Life

* * *

"Normal Speech"

" _Thoughts"_

" ** _Foreign Language"_**

* * *

_**Chapter 2 -** _ **The Magnificent Story of the Politics Involving Harry Potter's Life**

**Gringotts Bank, Kosmídion District, Constantinople, Thrace**

" **Greetings Mr. Potter"** said one of the wizard, in a language that Harry identified as not being English. What was strange was the fact that he understood it. **"I am Ioannes Monomachos, and next to me are D. Francesca Gabrielli and Anton Damyanov. We are the three representatives of the Regency Council of the Roman Empire."**

" **Next to us are also Carlos Delgado, the President of the Council of Ministers of the Kingdom of Portugal and the Algarves, and also Agata Petrovna, the Chairwoman of the Council of Ministers of the Russian Empire."**

Harry went to shake hands to the five, and he then addressed Ioannes

" **Why am I here?"** said Harry in Greek, a language that he never spoke before, not even noticing the change of language.

The woman with light brown hair answered in Italian. **"Tell me Mr. Potter, what do you know about your family?"**

" **My family?"** he asked **"Not much actually. Why?"**

Ioannes motioned Harry to sit on a free chair, and as he sat down, the other six followed.

" **Unlike what you have been told, your mother was never a biological member of the Evans family."** answered Anton **"In fact, she was adopted by the Evans."**

" **My mother was adopted? Why?"**

" **You mother's adoption was not the most conventional of adoptions."** said Francesca **"In fact, the only reason she was adopted, was because she had been kidnapped shortly after she was born."**

" **Then…who were her real parents?"**

" **Your mother's parents were Alexandros von Habsburg-Anemas, who died in the 22** **nd** **of May of 1968, and Maria Ana of Braganza-Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, who died in the 15** **th** **of October of 1977."**

" **Alright, but…what is that supposed to mean?"** he asked. His question was received with raised eyebrows from those around him.

" **Mr. Potter,"** sighed Ioannes **"you mother and your grand-mother were both the heads of state of the Russian Empire and the Kingdom of Portugal and the Algarves."**

" **What?!"** he exclaimed **"But…but…my mother, how could she have been…?"**

" **Please calm down Mr. Potter."** said Anton **"Your grandmother was the only child of King D. Manuel II of Portugal and of Empress Anastasia I of Russia."**

" **It not common knowledge, but Empress Anastasia was not in the Russian Empire when the Russian muggle monarchy was abolished, and her relatives placed in house arrest." said Agata.**

" **Indeed, she was in Great Britain where she met the exiled Manuel II."** said Carlos **"The two fell for each other, and shortly after the Imperial Family was murdered, the two married, and later you grandmother was born. After their respective deaths, you grandmother became the Queen-Empress of Russia, Portugal and the Algarves. And before her ascension to the thrones she married Alexandros von Habsburg-Anemas."**

" **I understand why President Delgado and Chairwoman Petrovna are here, but I don't understand why you are here."** he said, while addressing the Regency representatives.

" **I think that question is better answered this way."** said Arkus, who waved his hand, and an ornate dagger and a few blank parchments appeared.

" **This dagger is used to preform Blood Tests Mr. Potter."** said the goblin in Gobbledegook **"Do you know what a blood test is?"**

" **Not really."** answered Harry

" **A Blood Test Mr. Potter, reveals information regarding the family of the wizard preforming it. Information such as who the parents are, what is your blood status, titles and other things."** said Ioannes in Greek.

Arkus gave the test instructions to Harry. He had to cut his arm to draw blood. His blood would then have to touch one the special parchments. Harry did so, and after a few seconds the blood disappeared and crimson words started to appear.

* * *

_ **Blood Test of** **Hadrian James Charlus Manuel Michael Gabriel Raphael** _

_**Blood status:** _ _Pure-blood_

 **Father:** _James Charlus Potter_

 **Mother:** _Liliana Manuela Micaela_ _Gabriela Rafaela_

 **Godfather:** _Sirius Black III_

 **Godmother(s):** _Alice Longbottom_

**Member of:**

_House Palaiologos (_ extinct in the male line _)_

 _House of Anemas (extinct_ Palaiologos cadet branch _)_

_House of Holstein-Gottorp-Romanov_

_House of Wettin (_ extinct in the male line _)_

_House of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha_

_House of Capet (_ extinct in the male line _)_

_House of Braganza_

_House of Braganza-Saxe-Coburg and Gotha_ (extinct Saxe-Coburg and Gotha cadet branch _)_

_House of Habsburg-Lorraine_

_House of Habsburg-Anemas (_ Habsburg-Lorraine and Anemas cadet branch _)_

 _NMA House of Gryffindor (_ extinct in the male line _)_

 _NMA House of Potter (_ extinct in the male line _)_

_NMA House of Black_

**Current Titles:**

_King of Nicaea_

_Despot_

_Grand Duke of Russia_ (Magical and Muggle)

 _Prince Royal of Portugal_ (Muggle and Magical)

 _Duke of Braganza_ (Magical and Muggle)

_Archduke of Austria_

_Duke of Hogsmeade_ (Magical and muggle)

**Head of:**

_House of Habsburg-Anemas_

**Heir apparent to:**

_Roman Empire (_ Magical and Muggle)

 _Russian Empire_ (Magical and Muggle)

 _Kingdom of Portugal_ (Magical and Muggle)

 _Kingdom of the Algarve_ (Magical and Muggle)

_NMA House of Black_

* * *

Harry could only stare in shock to the results in front of him. He was royalty. He was Wizard and Muggle royalty. How in the world was he kept ignorant from all this?

But out of all that, the one thing that caught his attention, was one of the states he was heir apparent to.

" **I'm the heir of the Roman Empire?!"** he asked in near hysteria.

" **Before your mother was born, your grandfather Alexandros was the last living descendent of Constantine XI Palaiologos, the last Roman Emperor."** Said Ioannes **"Ever since his death during the Ottoman capture of the city, the throne has remained empty, for none of his descendants claimed the Imperial Throne. But it was also because they couldn't, as magic itself did not select them as the rightful heirs to the Empire."**

" **And for some reason, magic thought it would a good idea to select me as the heir to the Empire?"**

" **From a certain point of view, yes."** replied Francesca

Harry groaned.

" **What now?"** he asked **"Any more surprises?"**

The others around the table glanced slightly at each other.

" **Um, besides the fact that you need to be crowned and acclaimed, there is still the fact that you will require an heir."**

Harry's eyes widened.

" **Am I not a little young for that kind of thing?"**

" **Not really."** replied Arkus **"Charles I of Hungary was married at 13 and Henry VII of England was born when his mother was 13."**

" **There are a small number of Imperial and Royal Houses in the world which have magical members, and your parents decided to create a marriage contract between you and a member of one such houses."**

" _And so it begins"_ Harry thought _"The Magnificent story of the politics involving Harry Potter's life, Part I."_

" **Which house?"** he asked tiredly.

" **You are currently betrothed to Beatrice Victoria, of the House of Hohenzollern."** said the goblin who was looking at some papers on the table **"She is the eldest daughter of Frederick Nicholas, who is the eldest son of Prince Frederick of Prussia, who in turn is one of the sons of King Wilhelm III, who was once the King of magical Prussia."**

" **According to the contract, she was born in the 10** **th** **of February of 1981. Your mother knew her parents, and when Beatrice was born they decided to create a contract for you two."**

" **In itself, it is a good contract since it creates an alliance of sorts between the House of Habsburg-Anemas and the House of Hohenzollern."** said Anton **"And the fact that the House of Hohenzollern is composed of wizards facilitates things. Not to mention the prestige that comes with it."**

" **Should I get married first, or should I be crowned first then?"** he asked.

" **I would suggest that you should first get married, and then be crowned and acclaimed."** Said Francesca **"It would be a good way of saving time, and the ceremonies could be more…grand, since we would be crowning the monarch and his consort."**

" **I would suggest that after the marriage, you be acclaimed as the King of Portugal and the Algarve, followed by a dual coronation as the Roman Emperor and as the Emperor and Autocrat of All the Russias."** suggested Agata.

" **Hold on."** said Harry **"It says here that I am the King of Nicaea. How?"**

" **The Kingdom of Nicaea was the successor to the Hereditary Theme of Nicaea, which had been granted to your ancestor Doux Stephanos I Anemas."** explained Ioannes **"It became a Kingdom a few generations after the death of Constantine XI. But when you become the Roman Emperor, the title will become meaningless, and the territories shall become part of your personal domains."**

" **Ah."** he said, acknowledging the explanation.

He remained in silence for a few moments, thinking about the oncoming marriage.

" **Contact her parents, and see if we can arrange a meeting."** he said **"We need to discuss this whole affair in person."**

"Very well." said Anton.

" **You Highness, I mentioned earlier that the Supreme Director of Gringotts wished to speak with you."** said Arkus to the young wizard.

" **Very well. I shall meet him."**

" **Your Majesty, we shall wait here for you. There are a few things we have to discuss afterwards."** said the Sicilian witch.

" **We shall take our leave then."** said Carlos.

" **Indeed."** replied Agata **"We shall meet again Your Highness."**

The two wizards slightly bowed, and apparated away.

Harry followed Arkus, leaving the circular room and entering a corridor. They walked until reaching a lift, where they descended into the lower levels of Gringotts. As the lift stopped Harry and Arkus entered a large room in which were several pieces of Goblin weapons hung on the walls. In the far end of the room was an old goblin, sitting behind a white marble desk.

The goblin, Gringott IV, rose from his chair and headed towards Harry, and as soon as he was in front of him, he bowed.

" **It is an honour to finally meet you, Your Highness. The glorious Roman throne has been left vacant for too long."**

" **The honour is mine Supreme Director Gringott. May I inquire what is it that you wish to discuss with me?"** Harry concluded that something had happened to him. He never had spoken in such a manner before.

" **While I hold the position of Supreme Director of Gringotts, I also hold the rank of Warlord in the Goblin Council. And in the name of the Goblin Conglomeration, I Gringott IV Urghook wish to renew the vassalage of the Goblin Nation to the Roman Empire."**

Harry knew immediately what to do.

" **In the name of the Senate and the People of Rome, I, Hadrian, Despot of the Romans, accept the Goblin Nation as a vassal of the Roman Empire."**

A flash of light sealed the pact.

" **Supreme Director, how can I seem to know exactly what to do in situations such as these? I feel as if I am being compelled to act."**

" **And you are. Magic has recognized you as its ruler Hadrian."**

" **What?"**

 **"According to old goblin legends,** **magic is what remains of the primordial energies that existed during the creation of reality. It somehow became sentient and it chooses a person who is capable of wielding it and manipulating it as its master."** explained the old goblin **"I assume you heard of the legend of Atlantis?"**

" **Yes, but only the muggle one."**

" **Atlantis, also known as the Ancient World, was once ruled by three Lords of Magic, who fashioned themselves as God-Kings. They were known as Qualopec, Natla and Tihocan. Their misuse of its power led to the Destruction of Atlantis, and the survivors of the cataclysm, would create what would become the Hellenic, Egyptian and Incan civilizations."** said Gringott **"Many centuries after the Fall of Atlantis, the title of Lord of Magic would become assimilated into the title of Roman Emperor."**

Harry was listening very carefully to the small lesson in history and mythology. There was something that could be learned from this.

" **I suppose that you know that the man called Albus Dumbledore styles himself as the Leader of Light Magic, while the man known as Voldemort styles himself as the Leader of Dark Magic?"**

" **Yes…"**

" **Their self-styled titles are nothing more than blasphemy, nothing more. You and you alone are the one chosen by magic itself to rule over it and over those who use it."**

Harry nodded and decided to ask if he had any vaults in Constantinople.

" **Of course you have Your Highness!" replied the old goblin "The Imperial Vault, the Palaiologos Vault and the Anemas vault."**

" **The Imperial vault?"**

" **It is there that the regalia, crowns and other 'trinkets' of previous emperors are stored"** said Arkus **"The Palaiologos and the Anemas vaults store currency and regular family heirlooms."**

" **However, as you lived the greater part of your life in Great Britain, then I believe you are unfamiliar to Roman currency."**

" **You don't use Galleons?"**

" **Of course not! All of the empire uses the same type of currency used in the muggle Roman Empire during its last centuries. We have the Hyperpyron, which serves as the gold coin, the Basilikon, which serves as the silver coin, and the Tournesion, which serves as the billon coin."**

" **Do I have other vaults then?"**

" **The Potter and the Gryffindor vaults are in the British Branch of Gringotts, while the others, if they exist, are in their respective countries."** said the Supreme Director **"I suggest you to head to the Imperial Vault and put clothes fit for someone of your status."**

After saying goodbye and mentioning a few other things, Harry followed to the elevator, where they descended to a large cavernous corridor, which lead into a large cavern with a seemingly bottomless pit. Suspended by what resembled poles, was a large cube-like structure. There was a stone path that led to it, and Harry followed Arkus until the two reached the gate.

* * *

 

* * *

 

" **What is this place?"**

" **This is the entrance to the Imperial Vault." responded the goblin "But what you see is in fact what protects the true entrance."**

**Arkus waved his hand, and the gates slid open.**

**Harry noticed that the inside of the cube structure was larger than it should be. And on the inside was an arch made of what seemed to be stone. There was a strange white curtain inside the arch, that resembled the flow of water.**

" **This is the Veil, one of the most dangerous methods of security created in ancient times."** Said Arkus **"This one was designed with the Roman Emperor or the successor to the Roman throne in mind."**

" **What does it do?"**

" **It is essentially a portal to a pocket dimension where the vault is located."** explained Arkus to the young monarch **"If anyone other than you dares to walk through this Veil, they die. The body is then absorbed by the veil."**

" **Then I suppose it is safe for me?"** asked Harry nervously.

" **Of course it is."** the goblin looked as if he had been offended **"However, I suggest that you stay away from other Veils of this kind. I know that the British Ministry of Magic has one of these in their Department of Mysteries. They think that it is some sort of gate to the afterlife. Well, technically it is."**

Harry laughed at that statement. Gathering his Gryffindor courage, he walked into the Veil, finding himself in a large that seemed to be freshly built. There were many mannequins with ornate robes and busts with priceless crowns and tiaras. Harry searched the room for a while, finding chests with old relics and clothes, until he found a set of imperial robes that pleased him. It was a white robe with golden decorations and jewels, with a Tyrian purple cloak decorated as well with jewels and a golden plaque. Harry took of his muggle clothes and dressed the Imperial Regalia. After using a nearby mirror to make sure that the regalia was dressed correctly, Harry gathered his discarded clothes and left the Imperial Vault.

On the other side of the Veil was still Arkus, who seemed to have become happier at the sight of a properly dressed emperor.

" **What shall I do with these?"** asked Harry, referring to his old clothes.

" **If you need them for later keep them, if not, then burn them."**

" **With what?"**

" **Aren't you a wizard Your Majesty? When you became the Emperor, you were automatically emancipated. No more Underage Magic Trace for you."**

Until Arkus had mentioned it, Harry didn't even thought about the Underage restriction. That meant that he was free to do magic at his will. He could not help but smile at that fact. He dropped his old clothes on the ground and cast a Fire-Making Charm at the bundle of clothes, which quickly turned into ash.

" **Do you require any more things from the vaults Your Majesty?"**

" **Not at the moment. Is there a possibility of creating a family tapestry?"**

" **It is done using the same methods as a Blood Test, except we use an enchanted empty tapestry instead of a parchment."**

As soon as Harry and Arkus arrived at the office, they began to prepare the tapestry. When everything was ready, Harry repeated what he did during the Blood Test. As soon as the blood was absorbed by the cloth, words and images started to appear. On the top centre was the coat of arms of the Imperial Family: a golden double-headed eagle with a crown above the two heads, and on its chest, was a shield divided in a party per cross: on the top right, was the emblem of the Palaiologoi, a tetragrammic cross with four Bs representing the family motto, _King of Kings, Ruling over Rulers_ , while on the top left, was the Cross of St. George, representing the alliance with the former Republic of Genoa. On the bottom right, was the emblem of the Archduchy of Austria, symbolizing the marriage of Sophie Klementine von Habsburg-Lorraine with Philip Anemas, whose son would be the founder of the Habsburg-Anemas line, while on the bottom right was a blue version of the Emblem of the Palaiologoi, representing the House of Anemas.

Yet when Harry looked at the family tree he became slightly surprised with what he discovered.

* * *

 

* * *

 

Above this mother, Queen-Empress Lillian I of Russia and Portugal (1960-1981), here the names Queen-Empress Maria I of Russia and III of Portugal(1924-1977) and King Alexandros I of Nicaea(1920-1968). Above Anna were the names Empress Anastasia I of Russia (1901-1967) and King Manuel II of Portugal (1889- 1932), while above Alexandros were the names Sophie Klementine von Habsburg-Lorraine (1885-1957) and King Phillip I of Nicaea (1890 – 1958). Above his father, James Charlus Potter (1960-1981), were the names Charlus Henry Potter (1920-1977) and Dorea Black (1920-1977), each followed by their respective ancestors.

The family tree featured several generations, reaching some of his most distant ancestors, such as Constantine XI (1405 – 1453), the last Roman Emperor on both the muggle and the magical empires, and Afonso I (1109 – 1185), the first King of Portugal.

Harry requested a listing of his properties from Arkus, and the amount of money he had in the vaults. He waited for a while, until Arkus gave him two pieces of written parchment.

* * *

**_Private properties of Hadrian James Charlus Manuel Michael Gabriel Raphael_ **

_**Greece and Anatolia** _

Grand Palace of Constantinople

Palace of Nicaea

Palace of Epirus

_**Russia** _

Alexander Palace

Catherine Palace

_**Estonia** _

Kadriorg Palace

_**Portugal** _

_Mafra National Palace_

_Pena National Palace_

Royal Palace of Évora

Ducal Palace of Vila Viçosa

_**United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland** _

Potter Manor

Peverell Manor

Hogwarts

Hogsmeade Village

* * *

Harry was surprised and satisfied by his Real estate. The documents mentioned that upon the end of the Soviet union, the Russian Federation and the government of Estonia had returned several properties and heirlooms back to the their rightful owners, while during the Estado Novo, the muggle Portuguese President of the Council of Ministers Antonio de Oliveira Salazar had likewise returned a few properties and heirlooms of the royal family back to its head. He then decided to look at the other document.

* * *

**_Vaults of Hadrian James Charlus Manuel Michael Gabriel Raphael_ **

**Palaiologos Vault** \- 8 400 000 000 H

 **Holstein-Gottorp-Romanov Vault** \- 4 794 300 000 H

 **Braganza-Saxe-Coburg and Gotha** \- 2 892 300 000 H

 **Potter Vault** \- 34 000 000 H

 **Gryffindor Vault** \- 394 000 000 H

 **Black Vault (heir)** \- 62 800 000 H

* * *

Upon seeing the numbers, Harry's mind finished the processing of the events of the last two hours.

He then fainted.

* * *

**_Author's Notes:_ **

**_1._ ** **Beatrice Victoria is not an original character. She is an actual real, living and breathing person, which I chose from the many European nobles to become Harry's consort.  
**

**2\. This is NOT an harem story.**

**3\. The Habsburg-Anemas (simple version of the) coat of arms is the image of this story.**

**4\. This story will have elements from the Tomb Raider franchise, but this is not a crossover.**


	3. The City of the World's Desire

* * *

"Normal Speech"

" _Thoughts"_

" _ **Foreign Language"**_

* * *

_**Chapter 3 – The City of the World's Desire** _

**Great Palace, Imperial District, Constantinople, Thrace**

Harry had just awoken from his sleep, but he knew there was something wrong. The bed he was on was certainly not the one of Gryffindor Tower, as it was larger. He wondered where he was, but then he remembered what had happened during the night. He sighed, wondering why things like that only happened to him. A day ago, he was simply Harry Potter, Boy-Who-Lived and student of Hogwarts, and now he was Hadrian "too-many-names" of the House of Habsburg-Anemas, King of Nicaea, Roman Despot, future Roman and Russian Emperor and future King of Portugal and the Algarves. Groaning, Harry opened his eyes to the room around him.

He was in a large and well decorated bedroom. The walls were painted in a blueish colour, while the floor was completely decorated with mosaics, and there were some on the walls. There was an entrance that led to a balcony that oversaw what resembled a large sea with strange columns. Getting up from the bed, Harry headed over to the balcony, and as he looked around, he realized that he was in Constantinople. There were several boats in the sea in front of him, and as Harry looked up, he saw a representation the sky, projected in the enchanted celling. The sun was currently near the top, and Harry presumed that it was almost midday. There were a few clouds as well, and they seemed to be moving. He concluded that this enchantment, unlike the one in Hogwarts's Great Hall which was active only during the night feasts, simulated the day-night cycle. Looking at the columns he saw before, he noticed that they had strange patterns that glowed with a blue colour.

* * *

 

* * *

 

" _Perhaps those things power the enchantment?"_ he thought, before returning to the bedroom.

It seemed that he had been moved to one of the palaces. He returned to the bedroom, here he noticed that his Imperial Regalia was inside an open wardrobe, and near it was his trunk. It was only then that Harry noticed that he was wearing pyjamas made of silk, and they were of a purpleish colour. He quickly dressed the Regalia, and his eyes fell upon a note and a sealed parchment in a desk. As he grabbed the note, he began to read it.

* * *

**Your Imperial and Royal Highness,**

**After you passed out in Gringotts, you were moved to the Emperor's main chambers in the Great Palace. As soon as you are ready, meet us in the Throne Room for your medical examinations. I took the liberty of preparing a map of the palace so that you can reach the Throne Room quickly. We have also recovered your belongings from Hogwarts.**

**Imperial Regent and Eparch of Constantinople,**

**Ioannes Monomachos**

* * *

Harry unsealed the parchment that contained the map, and searched for the location of the Throne Room. He then left the bedroom, entering the overly decorated hallways of the palace. Using the map, Harry quickly found his way to the Throne Room, where were the three Imperial Regents and a wizard he had not met. He was an old man dressed in simple white robes. Upon seeing him, the four wizards bowed.

" **It is an honour to meet you Your Majesty."** said the fourth wizard in a rough Greek. **"I am Sargon, a healer from the province of Mesopotamia"**

Harry greeted the Mesopotamian wizard. The old man then fetched instruments that Harry had never seen, and started to collect blood samples from Harry. Dropping the blood in a strange yellow potion that proceeded to turn blue, the healer confirmed to Harry that he had no kind of magical or muggle disease. He performed several diagnostic spells, and a long parchment appeared out of nowhere. Upon reading it, Sargon paled and showed it to the other three wizards. Upon reading, instead of becoming pale, they became furious. The parchment registered several broken bones, malnutrition and bone deformation.

The parchment not only showed the injuries, but also what had caused them. The majority was caused by the Dursley family, while others had their origin on Quidditch. But there was one thing that made the others pale in comparison.

" **What's wrong?"** he asked.

" **Amongst your…past injuries, it seems that your scar houses the fragment of a soul."** replied Sargon.

" **It houses what!?"** he yelled.

" **It is the most abominable form of dark magic that exists."** replied Ioannes **"It is normally called an Horcrux, but your scar cannot be described as one. The fragment within it is not…completely attached."**

" **Horcruxes were created by an ancient wizard known today as Herpo the Foul."** said Anton **"He created them in an attempt to achieve immortality, but at a terrible price."**

" **What was it?"** asked the young wizard.

" **Oblivion."** replied Sargon **"Those who create Horcruxes, and if for some reason the Horcrux is destroyed, become unable to enter the Underworld, and according to old texts and experiments, the energies that compose the soul are scattered and vanish into nothing upon death."**

" **As long as someone has an Horcrux, their soul remains bound to the mortal sphere."** said Francesca **"Herpo the Foul survived for centuries after his first death, and when he returned to life in the 18** **th** **century, his Horcrux was finally destroyed, and the old man was ultimately killed."**

" **Is there any way to remove this…thing?"** he asked.

" **There is."** replied Ioannes " **Upon Herpo's final death, the Regency Council decided to gather a group of scholars and powerful wizards to create a way to…nullify the Horcrux."**

" **What's that supposed to mean?"** he asked nervously.

" **The spell they created simply reverses the effects of the Horcrux ritual."** said Sargon **"But since the fragment in your scar was possibly not intentional, then I presume that the spell will still work."**

" **Can it be done now?"** he asked impatiently **"Does anyone of you know the spell?"**

" **I do Your Highness**." said the Mesopotamian healer **"All healers in the Empire are required to know the incantation."**

" **But can you do it now?"** he asked again.

" **Yes."**

" **Then do it."** he ordered.

Sargon grabbed his wand, and pointed it at the future Emperor.

"Dialýsei Kátagma"

A dark wave of energy was shot from the wand towards Harry, and it enveloped the young wizard in what resembled a black veil, before it sank onto his skin. For a few moments nothing happened, but as Harry went to ask if it was done, a wave of magical energy exploded from his body, and those inside the room heard what seemed to be a faint scream, before it faded away. Harry collapsed onto the ground, and was helped by Sargon, who sat him on a chair that Ioannes summoned.

" **What…what was that?"** he asked, breathing heavily.

" **That blast was the expulsion of all foreign presences on your body."** responded Sargon **"And I mean all. If you had any magical block on you, then it is gone. It's one of the collateral effects of the spell."**

" **And if that scream served as an indication, then we can say that right now, your soul is the only one in your body."** declared Anton.

" **Now, there is also the matter of the other injuries."** said Francesca in a calm but forceful tone **"Especially the ones that were caused by your adoptive relatives."**

He nodded embarrassed. Harry no longer could hide his past. He presumed that they now thought he was pathetic. He was wrong.

" **Your embarrassment is visible Your Majesty."** said Ioannes **"But what they did is child abuse, and the fact that at the time you were the head and the heir to several mundane and magical noble, royal and imperial houses aggravates the situation. If you give us the authorization, then this matter shall be resolved quickly."**

" **Do it then."** he sighed.

At that, the healer continued Harry's examinations. He gave him several potions that were meant to repair his body, although unlike most potions, these ones would take time to show any effect. He also gave Harry a potion created by an Ethiopian Potions Master that corrected his eyesight. The next day, Harry would be able to discard his glasses. As soon as Sargon was finished, he told Harry that if he ever required his assistance he only had to send a letter, and he departed the Imperial Palace. Anton then approached the emperor.

" **Your Highness, I would suggest that you go and explore the city. It will be a good way of becoming acquainted with the capital of the empire and its people."**

It was a good suggestion. He had not yet visited the city, and he had only seen the sea from the balcony of his chambers, and the interior of Gringotts.

" **Can any of you serve as my…guide?"**

" **I will gladly assist you Your Highness."** responded Francesca **"Although I would advise you to wear more…basic clothes if you will walk the streets of the city. We don't want to raise attention to your existence just yet."**

Harry nodded and headed back to the Emperor's chambers.

* * *

**Imperial District, Constantinople, Thrace**

Harry and Francesca had left the palace, and Harry's eyes fell onto the giant structure that was on the distance.

" **What is that?"** he asked while pointing at it.

" **That is the Palace of Ceremonies."** answered the witch **"It is a near-exact copy of the Hagia Sophia before it was turned into a mosque by the Ottomans. It is in this palace that you will be crowned."**

* * *

 

* * *

 

Harry nodded, and the two headed towards another building, this one smaller.

" **This is the Magnaura, where the Senate of the Empire meets."** explained Francesca **"The Senate has already been made aware of your return, and you will have to attend a meeting, as you technically are the leader of the senate."**

As there were nothing much to see in the area, Francesca told Harry to grab her arm, and the two apparated away.

* * *

**Constantinople, Thrace**

Constantinople was unlike anything he had ever seen. The city streets were filled with so much people that it made Diagon Alley look like a tiny ant in comparison. Many vendors were on the market streets, and the maelstrom of the smells of spices and other culinary ingredients was making him feel hungry. As he walked the streets with Francesca, he could not help but overhear some of the conversations. Most were the normal type of conversation one would hear, but there was a large amount of philosophical and religious debates amongst the citizens. He was rather surprised when he saw that instead of making business, a vendor and a client were speaking about the philosophical differences of the Mycenaean belief and that of the Cult of the Blind Priests.

As the two walked past the stores and the bazaars, Francesca began to explain to Harry some of the differences and similarities between the culture of the Roman Empire and that of the ICW. In the Empire, the muggleborns were divided into two social groups: the first were Antikanonikós, known better as the Recusants, which were those who defied the authority of the divine rule of the monarchs within the empire, and denounced the Perennial cults. The second group were the Sýmfo̱nos, known also as the Concordant class, which was composed of muggleborns who accepted the laws and customs of the Empire, and even adopted the practices and beliefs of the higher classes, taking part in the worship of the Perennial deities.

" **So while in Britain, the whole anti-muggleborn prejudice is about blood, in the Empire is mostly due to religious issues?"**

" **Quite correct Your Highness."** replied Francesca **"Many muggleborns who are introduced to the Wizarding World come with their beliefs, and there is a large amount who attempt to, for the lack of a better sentence, shove them down other wizards' throats. The fact that the Empire in itself can be described as an autocratic and theocratic monarchy is also seen as negative by the Recusants, considering that the muggle world is mostly composed of republics and constitutional monarchies, while our world is mostly composed of a mixture of both absolute and constitutional monarchies."**

Harry nodded at the explanation, and the two continued the tour.

He became impressed when Francesca explained to him that the columns that dotted the landscape of the cavern were indeed projecting the simulation of the sky, and were also enchanted to sustain the entire cavern. She had told him that they were appropriately called the Pillars of Atlas, and while they seemed to be natural in construct, they were in fact built long before the first Roman Emperor had been born..

But out of all the things that he saw during his visit, the one that interested him the most was the Hippodrome. When Francesca explained to him was the purpose of the Hippodrome, he immediately wanted to see a race. Harry knew that the muggles had their horse races, but the fact that chariot races still existed sparkled his interest. As the afternoon ended, Harry had become a supporter of the Vénetoi, known also as the Blues. The two returned to the Great Palace, where the other two representatives of the Regency Council were waiting for them.

* * *

**Great Palace, Imperial District, Constantinople, Thrace**

" **Your Highness, I have received a letter from Prince Frederick Nicholas, replying to our summons."** said Ioannes.

" **And?"**

" **They say that they will come tomorrow."**

" **Good."** he replied **"While I admit I am a little excited to meet my future wife, I must also admit that I want to get this over with."**

" **You must have patience Your Highness."** said Anton **"Meanwhile, I believe that we should prepare you for tomorrow."**

" **How so?"**

" **There is a rather special room in the palace, known commonly as the Time-Compression Room."** said the Bulgarian wizard **"It was designed by an emperor of the Macedonian dynasty, and those who use it are able to alter the flow of time inside the room, without being affected by the passage of time itself."**

" **For example, if you enter the room in a state of near-death, then you will remain in that state while you are inside the room."** explained Francesca **"Therefore, even if you entered the room today, and spent sixty years inside, then you would leave the room with the exact same aspect you had when you entered. The room also affects the mind, as it prevents mental growth and decay."**

" **Could I enter it now, and spent at least two weeks inside while only a few hours outside?"**

" **If you 'program' it to do so, then yes."** answered Ioannes **"It is a very complex mechanism, and even we are unaware of how it was possible to build the room. And the only one who knew it is dead."**

" **So you want me to…educate me using that room to 'save' time?"**

" **That would be it Your Highness."**

Harry sighed, knowing that while it would be a good thing, it would also prove itself to be quite tiring for him.

" **Very well then."**

* * *

What was supposed to be a session of at least a week, turned into a group of lessons that lasted for three months inside the Time-Compression Room. Deciding that it would also be a good time to educate the future emperor in the workings of Imperial administration and bureaucracy, not to mention the other states and nations he was supposed to ruler over, the three regents began to educate Harry in diplomacy, etiquette, administration, and many other subjects. It came to be known, that the spell that Sargon had cast on him, as released some sort of binding on one of his abilities. His newfound eidetic memory became very useful during those three months, and with it, they also taught him Arithmancy, Ancient Runes, Dark Arts (a subject which not shunned in the Roman Empire), Potions (this time with a proper teacher), Chronomancy, Muggle and Magical History (where for the first time, he did not fell asleep).

From those history lessons Harry had learned many of the changes the Roman Empire suffered when it had been divided into the Western Empire and the Eastern Empire (which the mundanes referred to as the Byzantine Empire), how the Magical Empire had expanded to include Africa and Asia and many other things. The Hellenisation of the Empire was felt across it territories, and it had brought a small period of instability, which was quickly solved.

He also had history lessons regarding both Russia and Portugal, as those were two other countries he held power over. Not only that, but he was forced by his tutors to decorate and understand the entire 'Prochiron Aucta', which served as the written compilation of the legal system of the entire Roman Empire since the 13th century, the 'Russian Constitution of 1910' which was enacted a few years after its muggle counterpart and followed its example by allowing women to inherit titles, and the 'Portuguese Constitutional Charter of 1826' written by the King of Portugal D. Pedro IV, and approved by the Constitutional Cortes, which at the time also served as the counterpart to the muggle Constitutional Cortes.

As the days passed, he knew that he would have a lot of work to do, and as he saw his rise to power approaching, Harry could not help but shiver.

And he had no idea why he did so.


	4. Affairs of an Habsburg

* * *

"Normal Speech"

" _Thoughts"_

" _ **Foreign Language"**_

* * *

_**Chapter 4 – Affairs of an Habsburg** _

**12 Grimmauld Place, London, England (U.K.)**

One would think that the revival of the Order of the Phoenix was made much quicker due to the return of Voldemort, but what the very members of the organization didn't know, was the fact that the quick reorganization of Dumbledore's own secret society had been made due to the disappearance of Harry Potter. The problem was that his very disappearance was for all they knew, impossible. Dumbledore himself had been appalled with the silent and quick departure of Harry from Hogwarts. And it confused him, and those who knew of the event. The wards of the school were supposed to prevent and detect any student that attempted to leave the grounds of the school (and for some reason it didn't prevent them from entering the Forbidden Forest), and even then there was no trace of the boy. The fact that his belongings had disappeared with him was worrying. In fact, it seemed as if there had been no Harry Potter living in Gryffindor Tower.

One of Dumbledore's few (and rather ridiculous) theories, was that someone had messed up a spell and altered the course of history, but that theory was quickly forgotten when the old wizard saw that there were records of Harry in the archives of Hogwarts and that everyone could still remember him. He couldn't have apparated away, because the wards prevented such a thing, and because Harry was unaware of how such a thing was done. But then he remembered the fact that his detectors had been completely destroyed, raising the possibility of Harry no longer being in Great Britain. Deciding that it was the most plausible theory, Dumbledore reformed the Order, and placed its members on a rather "nice" and secretive tour across continental Europe. Needless to say, not many of those chosen were happy about it. Amongst them were Hestia Jones, sent to the Northern French Confederation, Remus Lupin, sent to the Kingdom of Prussia, Alastor Moody, who was sent to the Province of Lateran while other minor recruits were sent on what they would describe later as a wild goose chase.

Nonetheless, Dumbledore decided to keep Snape, who was his faithful…ally, on Britain. He had ordered Snape to alert Voldemort to Harry's disappearance, and was surprised when the Potions Master had asked him to repeat the order, for he thought that he had misunderstood Dumbledore. Dumbledore then decided to explain to Snape that with the Dark Lord chasing after Harry, then the boy would have to seek refuge with close friends, and by consequence the headmaster. The plan was most certainly flawless, and Harry would most certainly return to his…safe care.

* * *

**Great Palace, Imperial District, Constantinople, Thrace**

To say that Harry was anxious would be an understatement, and if he could radiate an aura of nervousness, then he believed that the entire Imperial District would be overflowed in it. The fact that his soon-to-be wife was arriving was rather surreal, and he swore when he would not let his parents rest for a good few decades when he finally joined them. And here he was, walking back and forth inside his bedroom for several uneventful minutes, until he was distracted by the sound of the doors of his chambers opening. He looked at the entrance, and saw that it was Anton who had entered.

" **They have arrived at the Chalke, Your Highness."** he informed **"I suggest you head to the Throne Room, in order to receive them."**

Harry nodded to the regent, and as Anton left, he began to head towards the Throne Room as well. He knew that while he would soon get married, that any supposed feelings towards Beatrice would take a while to develop. In fact, the concept of love was somewhat foreign to him. He had felt a crush on Cho Chang, but it was temporary. And even if he did not fell in love with her, he would still try to be a good husband to Beatrice.

He waited for Anton to vanish from his line of sight, until he walked down the hallways of the palace, passing by the several frescoes on the walls and windows that revealed the courtyards of the palace. And as he reached the entrance to the throne room, whose doors were already opened, the young despot looked towards a throne-like chair that was in front of the dais, which had the actual throne on top. He had been told that he would only use the lower throne until his coronation, symbolizing the fact that he was not yet the Emperor, but he would be one day. Next to the lower throne were the Regency Trio, waiting for him to arrive. Harry sat on the throne, and ordered the regents to receive the Hohenzollerns. As the three left, Harry wondered what they would think of him, and what she was like.

Moments later, the regents entered the room, followed by three other people, which Harry immediately identified. The man, Prince Frederick Nicholas, was dressed in a simple business suit, while the woman, Victoria Mancroft, had a medium length dress. Next to Victoria was the young Beatrice, in a dress similar to her mother's. Even from afar, Harry could see clearly the details of her face. Her face was slightly round, and her eyes lacked any strong colour, showing instead a rather weak grey. Her hair was of a soft brown colour, had a medium length, and was rather curly, yet the hair was tamed. Harry could not help but think that for her age, Beatrice already held a slight hint of future beauty.

As they approached him, Harry got up from his throne, and gave a few slow steps forward. When the three were at a considerably close to him, they gave a slight bow to the despot, before addressing him.

" **It is an honour to meet you again, Your Highness."** said Frederick, who shook hands with Harry.

" **I may not remember the last time,"** he said **"but likewise."**

Harry grabbed the hand of Victoria, and gave a slight kiss to the dorsal area.

" **Lady Victoria."** he greeted.

" **Your Highness. I am glad to meet you again."** she replied.

Harry then turned towards his future wife, and did the same he had done to her mother.

" **Lady Beatrice."**

Harry could see the smallest blush appearing on her face.

" **Your Highness."** she replied, her voice almost falling into a whisper.

Harry could see that she was nervous as well, and the prospect that she was getting married at such a young age, not to mention with someone a year older than her, could be rather overwhelming. His attention was shifted towards Ioannes, who summoned a large round marble table and a few comfortable chairs. As they all sat down, Harry looked at the Prussian prince and decided to ask what he wanted to know the most.

" **Before we move forward to the betrothal, I want to know how exactly you met my mother."**

" **We actually met Empress Lillian and your father when the two were on a secret vacation in Magdeburg. Coincidentally enough, Victoria and I were visiting the city shortly after our marriage. We met, traded a few conversations, and only after our relationship was developed enough, was that your parents decided to reveal who they were to us."**

" **That must have been rather strange."**

" **It was."** he said **"You father told us that he was a British noble shortly after we met, but we had no suspicion that Lillian was in fact an actual ruling monarch. I think that your mother was already pregnant when they revealed the truth to us."**

Harry nodded at the explanation.

" **Well then, I think that we should get to the main topic of your visit."** said Harry

" **Agreed."** said the Prussian.

" **Unless you have changed you mind, then the betrothal still continues and Beatrice and I will marry."**

Frederick nodded in confirmation.

" **Good then. Now what I want to know, is if the marriage can be done close to this date, and in a private and small ceremony. At this moment, I don't want to draw much attention to us. At least before the coronation."**

" **Why not?"**

" **There are…a few individuals in Confederation territory that don't have my best interests at heart. One wants me dead, and there is the possibility of the other being a manipulative bastard."** said the young Despot **"Not to mention that the one who wants me dead is the same one that killed my parents."**

" **Wasn't he supposed to be dead?"** asked Victoria

" **He has Horcruxes."**

" **Oh…"** said Frederick

" **But that has nothing to do with this."** said Harry, dismissing the topic **"The problem is, that if they even get the smallest hint that I am here, then I will have a lot of trouble on my hands, and Voldemort will possibly do something incredibly stupid, like trying to invade the city, since he believes that I am not protected by Dumbledore and some wards."**

As he finished speaking, Harry noticed that no one had any reaction to Voldemort's name.

" _Another plus for the Romans…"_ he thought.

" **Anyway, it shall be only after the marriage that the two of us will be both crowned and acclaimed."** said the future emperor **"First in Portugal and only then in Constantinople."**

" **What about Russia?"**

" **The Russian and the Roman thrones are connected in more ways than one can imagine. After the death of my ancestor, Constantine XI, the mantle of muggle Imperial Rome fell to the Tsardom of Russia, which then years later became the Russian Empire. And with the death of my mother, I received that mantle. As when Emperor Zenon became the ruler of a unified Roman Empire after the west fell, I shall become the ruler of two separate yet united halves of Rome: the muggle and the magical."** he explained **"One more time, the spirit of the Roman Empire will be united, as it should always be, and the fact that coronation shall be in the City of Constantine, represents the reunion of the two halves of the Empire."**

" _Weirdly enough, that task falls down to me…"_ Harry thought.

" **When exactly do you want the ceremony to be made?"** questioned Frederick.

" **The sooner I rise to power the better. Therefore, if you have no objections, I believe that the wedding should be done in a few days."**

" **We still need an exact date though."**

The room was in silence for a few moments, as Harry pondered on the date of the marriage.

" **The wedding shall be done in the next weekend, on Saturday."** he decided **"That should be enough time to prepare things, and for Beatrice and me to get prepared."**

" **Very well then."**

" **One question though. Which religious belief do you follow?"**

" **The three of us are members of the Aenean Orthodox Church."**

" **The Aenean Orthodox Church?"**

" **It is the largest 'cult' in the Empire."** said Ioannes **"It was created based on the teachings of the Thessalonian philosopher and monk Aeneas, who had once been a Christian before he abandoned that belief. The Church itself is heavily based on Christian and Hellenic mythology, more than any others. They see the Roman Emperor as the Divine Leader of the Church, the mortal incarnation of Aernus, Unity Incarnate. And upon your ascension, that belief will place you above the Aenean Pentarchy."**

" **How long has it existed?"** asked Harry.

" **Aeneas the Monk lived during the 8** **th** **century, but the Church itself was founded in early 11** **th** **century."** replied Francesca.

" **Many Christian muggleborns join the Aenean Church, as it is the one that is most similar to their original one."** said Anton **"But there are others of course, that join different cults."**

" **It reached a peak in popularity during our Renaissance, to the point when many of the old cults were absorbed by the Church, and the minor cults and orders that exist today are offshoots of the Church."**

Harry nodded at the explanation. If such beliefs were true, and considering how the Wizarding World functioned they could well be, then in the future Harry was sure he would need all the divine help he could get. Being Emperor would be difficult, but being what many people regarded as an avatar of a deity would be a challenge.

" _May Aernus, or whatever deity that is up there guide me."_

* * *

_ **Author's Note:** _

**1\. For those that wish to know, the House of Anemas, which is the male-line parent house of the Habsburg-Anemas dynasty, got its name from the Crusader Kings II Ruler Designer (Byzantium FTW). I have no idea if a House of Anemas actually existed in real life.**

**2\. The Aenean Orthodox Church is pretty much the Wizarding World equivalent of the Roman Catholic Church in terms of adherence, except it is based on the Eastern Orthodox Church instead.**


	5. Viva El-Rei!

"Normal Speech"

_"Thoughts"_

**"Foreign Language"**

* * *

_**Chapter 5 – Viva El-Rei!** _

**Galata District, Constantinople, Thrace**

" **Blessed are our gods and their creations. Let their divine grace favour us and free us from the blasphemous temptations…"**

" **Amen."**

Harry entered the Basilica of Saint Constantine right at the beginning of the rite. He was dressed in normal clothes in order not to draw attention to him, and as he entered, he looked at the colossal interior of the Aenean church. Seen from the outside, the structure was slightly larger than the Palace of Ceremonies, but the interior was far more magnificent. Harry had only seen the interior of churches in pictures, and this one, despite having clear neo-classical influences, had a very strong resemblance to a Christian church. It seemed that Aenean Orthodoxy had borrowed the Orthodox Christian model for religious buildings as well.

" **Blessed be the Corruptor, as from Him came the eleven. Honoured is His creation, for from him came the Great One."**

" **Honoured He is."**

The dome of the Basilica was filled with images and icons, most of them identified by the small but visible monograms. They represented the main pantheon of the Aenean belief: Tau, Chronos, Mors, Aernus, Nox, Athor, Mitra, Varuna, Isis, Reshep, Dievas and Perses.

" **Glory to Him, who is thrice holy."**

" **Glory to Him."**

" **Glory to Him, who slumbers eternal."**

" **Glory to Him."**

" **And Glory to Him, for His Dream is creation."**

" **Amen."**

Their images were distributed across the dome, but the one that stood out amongst them was that of Aernus, the Sleeping God, and Harry could assume that he was the most worshiped of all the Aenean deities. There were other images as well, but they were not identified. But as he looked back downwards, he saw that there were many people inside the church, sitting and witnessing the religious ritual. He sat on a distant empty bench, and observed the religious ceremony. He had not seen or felt anything like this before. There was an intense "aura" of calmness and something else inside the building, and the young Despot listened carefully to the words of those who performed the morning rite, and attempted to emulate the actions of the other citizens in front of him. But as he heard the rite, Harry suddenly lost all understanding of the languages. He could not even remember the meaning of English words. He realized that he could recognize the spoken language, but he could not understand it.

"Benedictus es, Dòmine, Deus univèrsi,

quia de tua largitàte accèpimus panem,

quem tibi offèrimus,

fructum terrae et òperis mànuum hòminum:

ex quo nobis fiet panis vitae."

The man spoke a few more times, and Harry continued not to understand anything. But then the man ceased to speak and Harry wondered what was going to happen. Less than five seconds later, the entire church was filled with sound of a choir singing in what he identified as Greek. But when the choir began to chant, Harry's mind seemed to drown in the words. There was something…mystical about it, which he could not explain, and the more he heard it, the more his mind drowned.

"Theotoke Parthene, chaire,

kecharitōmenē Maria, ho Kyrios meta sou.

eulogēmenē sy en gynaixi,

kai eulogēmenos ho karpos tēs koilias sou,

hoti Sōtēra etekes tōn psychōn hēmōn."

Harry could not understand what was happening. There was…something that was interfering with his mind, and in a rather pleasurable way. The chant had given him a sense of relaxation which he had never felt or experienced before, and in an enlightening sort of way.

Yet even in this state, a tiny aware bit of his mind noticed that some of the chants were in full Latin, while others were in Greek. And the rites followed the same pattern as the chants, both in Greek and in Latin.

"Eis to onoma tou Patros, kai tou Huiou, kai tou Hagiou Pneumatos…"

"Amen."

And as the morning ceremony proceeded, Harry sat that, trying to observe it with his mind clear, but unable to.

* * *

**Great Palace, Imperial District, Constantinople, Thrace**

" **I assume you went to one of the churches for the first time."** said an amused Ioannes.

" **How did you figure that out?"** asked a not amused Harry.

" **Your slightly unfocused eyes, plus your rather unbalanced stance give it away Your Highness."** replied Francesca **"But you have no need to worry. All those who witness a rite or mass for the first time suffer the same thing."**

" **No one knows why the rites have that effect on people who witness them for the first time though. It is strange as well because the muggle ones don't have the same effect."** said Ioannes. **"They also usually have an effect on the mental skills of a person."**

" **So that's why I was unable to understand anything?"**

" **Indeed."** replied Ioannes

" **There was also something."** said Harry **"When my translation ability became…unavailable, I noticed that the chants and the normal sentences were both in Latin and Greek. Why is that?"**

" **As we said before, many elements of the Christian belief were adopted by the Aenean Church. While a theologian would find it very similar to Eastern Orthodox Christianity, Aeneanism is also influenced by the Catholic traditions and others as well. The usage of the chants in Latin and Greek comes from there. Not only that, but several Christian beliefs and concepts were adapted to the Perennial faith, such as the Holy Trinity, the Christ Pantocrator and others."**

" **That seems…confusing."**

" **For some who was just introduced to things such as these it can be."** replied the Bulgarian regent **"There have been many councils over the centuries to debate over the Canon of the Church, and in each council, those who participated debated over the many teachings, new and old, and would root out those that were the most contradicting and non-compatible with the Faith."**

" **That process extended itself, and from it we have the current Aenean Orthodoxy."** said Francesca **"But over the next centuries there may be more councils. Or perhaps not."**

" **I see… Anyway, I want to know if you have made the preparations."**

" **They will be complete soon."** replied Francesca **"I have also informed Mr. Delgado that the acclamation ceremony will be done right after the marriage."**

" **How long will I stay in Portugal?"**

" **As long as you want. You still have to decide which of your available properties will serve as the official residence."**

" **Also, don't forget that Portuguese muggle monarchists see you as the rightful heir to the throne of Portugal."** said Ioannes **"In the case of a transition from the republic back to a monarchy, you will be the primary 'candidate' to be acclaimed as King of Portugal. In Russia is basically the same thing, with a few differences."**

" **Which is the…most grand in terms of appearance?"**

" **While the Palace of Mafra is the most magnificent in general appearance, according to a few books, your ancestors found that the palace in Mafra had a rather gloomy interior, and was mostly used by those of the royal family who enjoyed hunting in the local reserve."**

" **The best choice would be the Pena Palace, as it is close to the capital, and away from the prying eyes of the population, unlike the one in Mafra."**

" **How so?"**

" **It stands at the top of a hill in the Sintra Mountains, overlooking a rather large portion of land."** answered the Greek regent **"Muggles normally go to the area, but only to visit the ruins of the castle that is near the Palace. Access to the palace is restricted, so you don't have to worry."**

" **So be it then."** said the Despot **"I trust you can take care of it."**

The three nodded, and Harry left the Throne Room and headed to the library of the palace.

* * *

The future emperor spent the next days closed inside the library, only leaving to sleep, eat, and taking care of his other primary needs. As he left the Regency to take care of the preparations of the oncoming ceremonies, he had given himself a small but useful amount of free time, which he had been requiring for a while. He could have used the Time-Compression Chamber, but he would then need to enter and leave several times to fetch books, and in the end, it would not be very productive.

What he did, what he read, was knowledge only Harry held. The very regency council was unaware of the actions of the young wizard, and little did they knew that what Harry had planned, would have consequences that many could not imagine. Yet if they were positive or negative, only time would tell.

* * *

**Kosmídion District, Constantinople, Thrace**

And as Saturday arrived, Harry prepared himself for the small and discreet wedding. Considering it was the marriage of the King of Nicaea, it was rather unusual for the one that presided over the ceremony. It was done in an elaborate, yet simple way, following Aenean Orthodox tradition, inside of the small Church of Our Lady. There were very few people witnessing the marriage, and amongst them were all the 12 members of the Regency Council and the closest family members of Beatrice.

It was formal, strict and quick, lasting at least half an hour.

And at the end of the morning, Beatrice Victoria had not only become the wife of Hadrian and a member of the House of Habsburg-Anemas, but also the Queen of Nicaea, Duchess of Braganza and Hogsmeade, and following the old Habsburg tradition, Archduchess of Austria as well, not counting the other titles attributed to the wife of an heir.

* * *

**Pena Palace, Sintra, Portugal**

Travelling by an international portkey was rather unpleasant, and it was something that both Harry and his wife could agree on. As the two fell on the ground, Harry helped Beatrice to rise, and the two looked at the construct around them. The Palace was surrounded by fog, and neither Harry nor Beatrice could see very well what was beyond the trees.

Looking at the monumental portal near him, Harry saw as on a small tower in it was an engraving of the coat-of-arms of King D. Fernando II, the German King of Portugal and husband of the Queen Regnant D. Maria II, who had bought the former Monastery of Our Lady of Pena after the extinction of the religious orders in the Kingdom of Portugal, and built the new palace on its place.

* * *

 

* * *

 Harry allowed Beatrice to grab his arm with hers, and the pair walked across the small draw bridge inside the monumental portal, and into the ramp towards the main entrance of the palace.

" _This is rather surreal."_ thought Harry _"Constantinople is one thing, but this…this is recent. My ancestors once lived here."_

Beatrice however, noticed Harry's strange expression.

" **Is there something wrong?"** she asked preoccupied.

" **Huh? No, it just…this feels different from Constantinople."** he answered **"The palace in there was mostly unoccupied, considering that the Roman Emperors lived in the surface city. But here…this palace was where some of my ancestors actually lived in. And lot long ago."**

Harry however, ceased to speak, as only as he approached what many people would not identify as the entrance, due to how normal it looked (consisting of a simple double door), he could notice that the President of the Council of Ministers of the Kingdom of Portugal was already there.

" **Ah! Your Hignessess have arrived at last!"** exclaimed the old man. **"I must tell you that the Cortes are bustling in excitement over the acclamation."**

The three entered the palace, and headed towards the Indian Room, speaking along the way.

" **So…where exactly will be the Acclamation Cortes?"**

" **After a rather small debate, the Cortes have suggested for the acclamation to be in the Basilica of the Palace of Mafra. That is, if you allow it."**

" **Won't it attract too much attention?"** asked Harry.

" **Not if the members of the Cortes apparate to the gardens instead of entering through the main entrance."** he replied.

" **I give you permission then."**

" **Marvellous! Just one question Your Highness. Do you know the proceedings of the acclamation?"**

" **I'm not really sure."**

" **The acclamation is in essence a special session of the Cortes, composed by all the members of the Chamber of Peers and the Chamber of Deputies. When you swear that you will uphold and defend the Constitutional Charter, the Cortes will acclaim you as king."**

" **Any dressing code?"**

" **It is tradition for the soon-to-be king to be wearing a dark full dress uniform and to have the Mantle of Luis I on his back."**

" **No crowns?"**

" **Ever since your ancestor, King João IV was acclaimed as King of Portugal and he 'gave' the crown to the Virgin Mary, no monarch of our kingdom has used a crown or a similar accessory."** explained Delgado **"On the other hand, you will be given the Sceptre of the Armillary. I must also mention to you that those we have are the true Crown Jewels of the Portuguese Crown. The muggles have copies which they believe to be true and are stored in the Ajuda Palace."**

As they spoke, Harry took the time to observe the various rooms of the palace as they traversed through them. The Royal Guard was already in the palace, and many servants were already there. Harry could not help but notice that there were human workers in the palace, and a distinctive lack of House-Elves, much like in Constantinople. They greeted him as he walked past them, and Harry, not wanting to seem arrogant, replied to them.

As the three reached the Indian Room, Harry and the President had already discussed everything they needed to, and so Carlos Delgado returned to the capital, while Harry and Beatrice remained in the Palace. Having nothing to do, the pair decided to explore the palace in entiery, and when the two had looked at every room in the complex, they went to the exterior, where they spent a good amount of time walking in the Pena Park that surrounded the royal palace, and a good amount of minutes as Beatrice admired the gardens of Queen Amelia.

* * *

**Mafra Palace, Mafra, Portugal**

The next day, both Harry and Beatrice were prepared to the acclamation ceremony. While Harry was quick in the dressing of his new uniform, Beatrice was unfortunate enough for her to be presented with a selection of dresses by her Lady-in-waiting. Nevertheless, the newly wed pair managed to arrive at the palace half an hour before the ceremony began. The Basilica had been arranged especially for the occasion, and while it lacked the occasional church benches, they had been replaced by a group of large benches placed in a stair-like manner. On the place where the altar would normally be, were two thrones and a pedestal right next to one of them. Right behind the thrones, was a crimson coloured curtain, and on each throne was the coat-of-arms of the Habsburg-Anemas dynasty.

As every member of the Cortes arrived, Harry began to feel rather nervous, and it seemed that his wife noticed the shift in behaviour, as she whispered at his ear.

**"Be calm and relaxed. This is simply the acclamation, so you have no need to be nervous."**

Harry nodded, and adjusted his stance.

The session then began moments later, and Carlos Delgado stood in the middle, looking at the deputies in front of him, and to the ministers which stood next to him.

**"I declare started the Acclamation Cortes of Mafra. Leading the session is the President of the Council of Ministers of the Kingdom of Portugal and the Algarves of either side of the sea in Africa, and present are all the ministers of the current government, and all the members of the Chamber of Deputies and of the Chamber of the Lord Deputies of the Portuguese Nation."**

**"These Cortes have been invoked by His Imperial and Royal Highness The Prince Royal of Portugal, in his wish to swear to uphold our divine constitution. The presence of all the deputies in here is recognized as a unanimous acceptance of His Highness's claim. But the vote shall be repeated nonetheless. Is the Chamber is agreement?"**

**"It is."** was said by all the deputies and the ministers.

**"Then it is decided."**

Carlos Delgado turned towards the young prince.

**"As the Acclamation Cortes have voted to accept and acclaim you, you must now swear yourself to the Constitution. Are you prepared?"**

**"Yes."** answered Harry.

**"Do you, Hadrian James Charlus Manuel Michael Gabriel Raphael of the House of Habsburg-Anemas swear to uphold and defend the Constitutional Charter of the Kingdom of Portugal and the Algarves, granted to the Portuguese People by The King Dom Pedro IV?"**

**"I do swear to uphold and defend the Constitutional Charter of the Kingdom of Portugal and the Algarves."**

**"Then let it be declared here today, for I acclaim you to be His Most Faithful Majesty Hadrian the First, by the Grace of the Gods, King of Portugal and the Algarves of either side of the sea in Africa, Angola and Mozambique, Prince of Cape Verde, São Tomé and Príncipe, Timor and Goa, Lord of Guinea and of Conquest, Navigation, and Commerce of Ethiopia, Arabia, Persia, and India, etc."**

One of the ministers handed a pillow with the Crown of João VI to Delgado, and Harry took the crown, and placed it on the pillow which stood on pod of the pedestal near the throne. Another of the ministers went forward with the Mantle of Luis I, and as Harry gave him space, the minister placed it on his back. The final piece was the Sceptre of the Armillary, which was given to Harry by another minister. The young king sat down on the throne, followed by his wife. The ministers moved away from the thrones, and Carlos addressed the Cortes again.

"And now, the acclamation hymn of His Majesty shall be graciously sung by the Duchess of Borba, Teresa Fernanda."

Moments after he finished speaking, the sound of a piano was heard inside the basilica. Harry quite like the tune, and several seconds after the introduction tune, he noticed that there was a woman in one of the small balconies of the basilica.

" **At the shine of this new star,**

**Which smiles at us from the echoes**

**You can brighten the Lusitanian people.**

**Wiping their eyes."**

As she finished singing the first part, the entire Cortes began to sing as well.

" **Ascends the throne**

**August heir of**

**The new royal crown**

**Long live the King Dom Hadrian the First!**

**Long live the King, long live the king of Portugal!**

**Long live the King Dom Hadrian the First!**

**Long live the King, long live the king Dom Hadrian the First!**

**(Long live the king!)**

**Long live the king!**

**(Long live the king!)**

**Long live the king!"**

The members of the Cortes stopped singing, and Teresa was the only one that continued the hymn.

" **Always succeeds the bonanza**

**From the storms to the furor**

**Therefore now hope**

**Comes following our pain"**

And another time the Cortes joined in, following this pattern for the entire hymn.

" **Ascends the throne**

**August heir of**

**The new royal crown**

**Long live the King Dom Hadrian the First!**

**Long live the King, long live the king of Portugal!**

**Long live the King Dom Hadrian the First!**

**Long live the King, long live the king Dom Hadrian the First!**

**(Long live the king!)**

**Long live the king!**

**(Long live the king!)**

**Long live the king!"**

(empty space)

" **Be happy new monarch**

**Of Dom Manuel exalted great-grandson**

**Glad shall be the Lusitanian people**

**Glad shall be this nation."**

(empty space)

" **Ascends the throne**

**August heir of**

**The new royal crown**

**Long live the King Dom Hadrian the First!**

**Long live the King, long live the king of Portugal!**

**Long live the King Dom Hadrian the First!**

**Long live the King, long live the king Dom Hadrian the First!**

**(Long live the king!)**

**Long live the king!**

**(Long live the king!)**

**Long live the king!"**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 1\. The acclamation hymn was based on the actual private hymn of the Portuguese King D. Luis I. If you want to hear it, go to Youtube and search for "HYNO EL REI DOM LUIS". The lyrics start at 0:43.
> 
> I obviously altered the original lyrics, and I had to roughly translate them from Portuguese to English (considering that I am Portuguese myself, and as you can see from this story, I suffer from a rather "mild" case of what TV Tropes describes as Creator Provincialism), and here is the "original version" of the lyrics found in this fic:
> 
> "Ao brilhar desse astro novo
> 
> Que sorri pra nós dos ecos
> 
> Podes folgar luso povo
> 
> Enxugando os olhos seus."
> 
> (space)
> 
> "Sobe ao trono
> 
> Augusto herdeiro da
> 
> Nova coroa real
> 
> Viva El-Rei Dom Adriano Primeiro!
> 
> Viva El-Rei, Viva El-Rei de Portugal
> 
> Viva El-Rei Dom Adriano Primeiro! Viva El-Rei, Viva El-Rei Dom Adriano Primeiro!
> 
> (Viva El-Rei!)
> 
> Viva El-Rei!
> 
> (Viva El-Rei!)
> 
> Viva El-Rei!"
> 
> (space)
> 
> "Sempre sucede a bonança
> 
> Das tormentas ao furor
> 
> Assim agora a esperança
> 
> Vem seguindo a nossa dor."
> 
> (space)
> 
> "Sobe ao trono
> 
> Augusto herdeiro da
> 
> Nova coroa real
> 
> Viva El-Rei Dom Adriano Primeiro!
> 
> Viva El-Rei, Viva El-Rei de Portugal
> 
> Viva El-Rei Dom Adriano Primeiro! Viva El-Rei, Viva El-Rei Dom Adriano Primeiro!
> 
> (Viva El-Rei!)
> 
> Viva El-Rei!
> 
> (Viva El-Rei!)
> 
> Viva El-Rei!"
> 
> (space)
> 
> "Sê feliz monarca novo
> 
> De Dom Manuel excelso bisneto
> 
> Feliz seja o Luso povo
> 
> Feliz seja esta nação."
> 
> (space)
> 
> "Sobe ao trono
> 
> Augusto herdeiro da
> 
> Nova coroa real
> 
> Viva El-Rei Dom Adriano Primeiro!
> 
> Viva El-Rei, Viva El-Rei de Portugal
> 
> Viva El-Rei Dom Adriano Primeiro! Viva El-Rei, Viva El-Rei Dom Adriano Primeiro!
> 
> (Viva El-Rei!)
> 
> Viva El-Rei!
> 
> (Viva El-Rei!)
> 
> Viva El-Rei!"
> 
> 2\. The political map of the wizard community is very different from the muggle one. In this story, the magical Portuguese Overseas Empire went through a similar process to that which the real life British Empire did.
> 
> 3\. Harry's ability does not make him hear every conversation in English. Instead, it gives him a full understanding of any language he encounters, allowing him to speak it as well, and by convinence, it also allows him to imitate any accent. For example, if someone is speaking to him in Greek, he will hear Greek not English.
> 
> 4\. As one could guess from the hymn translation, the title of this chapter translates to English as either "Long live The King" or "Hail The King".


	6. For the Future of the Empire

Disclaimer: Harry Potter belongs to J.K. Rowling.

* * *

"Normal Speech"

_"Thoughts"_

**"Foreign Language"**

* * *

_**Chapter 6 – For the future of the Empire** _

**12 Grimmauld Place, London, England (U.K.)**

The Order of the Phoenix, or at least what remained of it, was once again gathered in the old house of the Black family. Dumbledore had received notice that there had been no findings across Europe, but it was with much luck that Hestia Jones had returned with information regarding the whereabouts of the "missing wizard". Many wondered what kind of information she could have, but not even Dumbledore had received it yet. For some reason, Dumbledore had not requested the students to leave, so they had been allowed to stay.

The kitchen was filled with people, amongst them nearly the entire Weasley family, a few Hogwarts professors such as Snape and McGonagall, Hermione Granger, Remus Lupin and Sirius Black. The entire group was waiting for the old headmaster to arrive, and as they waited, the Weasley matriarch prepared the lunch. But suddenly, Dumbledore appeared, his form showing itself on the green flames that devoured the fireplace.

"Where is Hestia?" he immediately asked.

"She has not arrived yet headmaster." answered Hermione.

Dumbledore nodded and sat down in a free chair, and a few minutes later, the fireplace was once again engulfed in green flames, as Hestia Jones entered the house of the Black family. On her hand was a newspaper, and most of those present assumed that it was that what she wanted to show to them.

"Did you found Mr. Potter's location?" asked Minerva.

"I have." answered the witch "After my failed search in North France I went to the south, to the Roman controlled Principality of Aquitaine, where I found this."

She looked at them all.

"Can you read French?" she asked.

There was a collective negative response. The witch sighed, and began to read and translate the newspaper for those in the room.

* * *

**_PORTUGAL HAS A NEW MONARCH_ **

_by Jacqueline Godier_

_It was been more than a decade since the Kingdom of Portugal had a monarch, and with the death of Queen Lillian I, daughter of Maria III, the throne stood empty once again. In a twisted repetition of history, the Prince Royal of Portugal was kidnapped after the murder of his parents, and found later in Great Britain. Queen Lillian herself was kidnapped shortly after her birth, and while the kidnapper was later found, he preferred to commit suicide instead of revealing the location of the Crown Princess, and when the late Queen discovered her true identity, her parents had already passed away._

_Both Queen Lillian and King consort James were murdered by the regicide Voldemort, a British dark wizard who claims to be a Lord, and after their deaths, according to information provided to us by the Council of Regents of the Roman Empire, the current monarch, D. Hadrian I, known in the Confederation as Harry Potter, was kidnapped by Albus Dumbledore, the Supreme Mugwump of the Confederation. All across the world, and especially in Europe, the Wizarding community under the jurisdiction of the Roman Empire has been calling out for retaliation against what is considered as an attempt at generating chaos in the Empire, but the strongest reactions come from both Russia and Portugal, as those are two of the three main states that fall under the control of the recently acclaimed king, who wish to see the Supreme Mugwump put to death._

_The new King of Portugal was acclaimed in the Palace of Mafra, one of the properties returned to the Royal Family of Portugal by the muggle government under the President of the Council of Ministers (the equivalent to Prime Minister in many countries) António de Oliveira Salazar, and at his side was his equally young wife, Beatrice of Prussia. We were provided with information that stated that the young couple had a private ceremony in Constantinople, following Aenean marriage traditions, which may indicate that Hadrian is the first magical monarch to openly assume his affiliation to the Orthodox Church. The new royal couple is now residing in the Pena Palace, but it has been confirmed that soon the young king shall be crowned as Russian Emperor, and for the first time in centuries, he shall also be crowned as Emperor of the Romans. The ceremony for his coronation as the Roman Emperor is expected to be in the Palace of Ceremonies, but it is unknown where the coronation ceremony for the Russian titles shall be._

_What is most certain, is that the reappearance of the young royal has generated a wave of monarchism and nationalism across Europe, and many scholars are already debating on the effects that this shall have for the next decades._

* * *

Silence.

There was near absolute silence in the room, as the only audible sound was that of the soup boiling.

Dumbledore weakly motioned Hestia to give him the newspaper, and as the witch did, his eyes fell on the picture of Harry being given the crown jewels of the Portuguese Crown. Dumbledore weakly threw the newspaper on the table, and as he saw it slide towards the middle, the headmaster supported his head with the two hands, as if It could fall at any moment. The others quickly gathered around the neglected newspaper, and their eyes widened upon seeing the same that Dumbledore saw. What no one noticed, was that both Remus and Sirius shared in their faces a mixture of surprise and the exact opposite.

But as they looked at the picture, Hermione was the one who broke the silence, by asking a simple question.

"How can there be a Roman Empire? It fell!"

"On the muggle world perhaps, " answered Hestia "but not in the Wizarding world. The Empire controls the vast majority of the Wizarding World, including South America and Canada, Asia, Oceania, Africa and most of Europe."

"And it seems that young Mr. Potter is the current heir to it." said Minerva "What will Cornelius make of this, Albus?"

"I have no idea…" said the old headmaster "But at this moment, young Harry is quite literally unreachable to us."

"To us maybe, but what about to You-Know-Who?" asked Ginny

"Unlike what he claims, the Dark Lord's power base is literally non-existent outside Britain." said Snape "They also have very severe laws regarding what they classify as rogue dark wizards. If any of his followers was caught by any imperial force, then their connections and money would be pretty much useless. Anyone in the empire which ascends to high positions of power needs to take unbreakable vows against corruption and things similar."

"How severe?"

"They can either be executed immediately after the trial, or depending on the severity of the crime their death would be…prolonged as much as possible, with an audience."

"That's barbarian!" exclaimed Hermione.

"What is barbarian to you is not to them Hermione." said Sirius rather harshly "The laws and traditions of the Empire predate all those that currently exist, considering that it is the only state that exists for at least two thousand years. Unlike in the ICW, the Empire does not suppress our most ancient traditions."

Sirius threw a glare a Dumbledore that most did not notice.

"But…but…"

"What would you prefer Hermione? To have your soul devoured by Dementors, preventing you from reaching any afterlife, or at least knowing that you will die and have an afterlife ahead?" asked Sirius "Many people, despite believing that they are condemned, would choose to simply die, not mattering how. The prospect of ceasing to exist is terrifying to many."

That silenced the young witch.

"Hold on!" said Ginny "I think we all are overlooking a small detail."

"What Ginny?" asked Arthur.

"The fact that Harry is married."

Many eyes widened in realization. They had completely overlooked that.

"Who is she anyway?" asked Molly.

"She is a Prussian princess. One year younger than Harry." answered Sirius "James and Lily made a contract with her parents a few months before they died."

"And you knew the whole time?" asked Molly "Why didn't you tell anyone?"

"Despite the fact that I have been at least a decade in Azkaban," Molly flinched at that "it was not something relevant to anyone else. You didn't ask either."

"None of that matters right now." said Dumbledore "Our only concern should be to make sure that Mr. Potter returns to us."

Many in the room snorted, and Sirius looked directly at the headmaster.

"And how exactly are you going to accomplish that?." asked Remus "You yourself said that Harry is unreachable to us."

"We will find a way… We must do so."

* * *

**Pena Palace, Sintra, Portugal**

Harry sat on the dining room together with his wife. While he was expecting the room to be rather extravagant, when he entered he could not help but be surprised. There was no abundance of gold, nor any thing similar. In fact the only things made of what at least resembled gold were the dishware set and some things that were displayed on the wooden cabinets, alongside porcelain plates. In truth, Harry found the room quite cosy. At least for him though. But there was something that was bothering him.

" **Where do you thing that the Russian coronation should be?"** he asked his wife.

" **What?"** she replied, surprised by the sudden question.

" **My…our coronation as the monarchs of Russia."** he explained **"I feel that by have the coronation in Constantinople, not mattering how symbolic it is, I am neglecting the Russian people."**

" **Then have the coronation in Russia."** she suggested **"Use one of the palaces."**

Harry sighed. **"I need to speak with the regents first though. I've been having a few of these ideas lately, and I'm not exactly sure what to make of them."**

" **What kind of ideas?"**

" **I don't know if you noticed, by ever since the last emperor died, the Empire has remained on a state of…stagnancy. All states and nations in it evolving in all ways possible, but the Empire itself has remained the same as it was centuries ago."** explained Harry **"I'm not going to do something stupid such as renouncing my absolute power over the Empire, and turn the Emperor into a symbolic figure, since that is what the senate is good for…"**

Harry noticed that Beatrice smiled a little at his statement.

"… **but I want to reform the Empire. And to reform the Empire…radical measures must be taken."**

" **Radical?"**

Harry smiled in a kind way, something that Beatrice found rather unnerving, and yet it sparkled her interest.

" **New laws must be made to ensure our survival, not only in the literal sense, but also our cultural and religious survival. The growing cancer that threatens our society must be…exterminated, by all means necessary. These things I learned, not only from study but from understanding of how the world works."**

The Queen consort raised an eyebrow at the statement.

" **If I am, or if I will be the mortal incarnation of the one who embodies unity, then I cannot allow neither the Empire, nor the entire Wizarding world to stand divided. Unity must be achieved, and I intend to see it done before my life ends."**

" **You do realize that your ideals are near exactly what the senate wants to hear?"** asked Beatrice.

" **Even better. The less opposition I have, the more successful I will be."** said the king **"And the faster this is made, the better. As soon as we finish, I will send a letter to the council. I will let them choose the location of the Russian coronation based on my properties in the Russian Empire, and for them to be prepared for the…reforms."**

Beatrice raised her cup.

"Ad Renovatio Imperii Romanorum."

Harry raised his cup in response.

"Ad Renovatio Imperii Romanorum."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And another chapter is done. You may notice the changes in Harry's personality. For those that have read the original version of this fanfic, they may remember that Harry will suffer changes in his personality that will make him seem rather sadistic and immoral. For those that have read it and for those that have not, the change is an… "essential" part of the plot, and if I don't suffer some weird accident, then it will have consequences in the chapters of the future. And I will also confirm that in-universe, Harry is the current mortal incarnation of Aernus.
> 
> I made a mistake on chapter 2. Harry is not supposed to be a pure-blood, but a half-blood.


	7. God Save the Czar

Disclaimer: Harry Potter belongs to J.K. Rowling.

* * *

"Normal Speech"

_"Thoughts"_

**"Foreign Language"**

* * *

_**Chapter 7 – God Save the Czar** _

**Pena Palace, Sintra, Portugal**

It was the 23rd of June, three days after the acclamation of His Most Faithful Majesty, King Hadrian I.

During said three days, Harry visited some of the hidden magical communities across the country, in order to get to know better the Portuguese wizards and their culture. The royal couple was protected by a special regiment of the Army of the Portuguese Nation who, alongside the famous Spanish army, were considered some of the best military forces in western Europe. Under their protection , the two managed to not get swallowed by the excited mobs of people who wanted to meet the new monarchs. Nevertheless, Harry still interacted with his subjects alongside his wife, appreciating their support. One of the major things that Harry learned about the Portuguese people, was that they valued their independence as much as the Hellenic Romans valued their own culture and identity. The future coronation as the Emperor of All the Russias would renew the Personal Union between Russia, Portugal and Nicaea, therefore he needed to keep his popularity high enough, considering what happened in 1640 with the Spanish Habsburgs.

The fact that he would be crowned as the Roman Emperor was different from the others, considering the Roman title was way above the others in a political scale, as the empire at the moment was more of a hegemonic force than a fixed state (excluding the territories that were under the direct administration of the Emperor), therefore not posing any threat to the sovereignty of the other two states.

Anyway, the young monarch had everything prepared for the future coronation as the Emperor of All the Russias, and now, the only thing he needed to do, was to travel to the city that rested under St. Petersburg, possessing the same name as the one above.

Harry and Beatrice had everything ready for the travel, and as the two headed towards the Arches Yard, where they would use an international portkey to travel to the capital of the Russian Empire.

* * *

**St. Petersburg, Russia**

Both Harry and Beatrice materialized in an empty square, seemingly devoid of life, but illuminated nonetheless.

Harry had no idea why they gave this city the same name as the one above. He could understand Constantinople, as it was a near replica of the muggle version of the city, but magical St. Petersburg had the appearance of city with thousands of years that had been rebuilt a few times. That location of the cavern was illuminated not only by blue flames, but also from the blue light that emanated from the engravings on the stone of the buildings. Much of the engravings seemed to be letters, but even while Harry's ability translated the words, he could not understand what they meant.

Suddenly, he was removed from his thoughts as Beatrice spoke to him.

" **Hadrian…look up."** she nearly whispered.

Confused by her attitude, Harry decided to look up, and as he did, his eyes widened into comical proportions and his mouth gaped slightly.

" **By the gods…"** he whispered.

The thoughts that he was in a middle section of the city vanished from his head, as he now knew that he was at least in what one could describe as the lower levels of the city. Towering above them was a cluster of buildings constructed on the walls of the cavern, and to facilitate travel, they were connected by bridges that from bellow seemed to form a web of sorts.

" **Your majesties!"**

The two turned towards the voice, and they located the source.

" **Regent Damyanov? Where are we?"** asked Harry **"Why is this place empty?"**

" **This cavern is the main commercial district of St. Petersburg. The reason this place is empty, is because there has been no need to use the lower levels, so they were abandoned."** replied the Bulgarian.

" **So that's why you choose this location for our arrival?"**

" **Because it is also the perfect location to start your tour of the city."**

" _Here we go again…"_ was Harry's only thought.

* * *

To Harry, the city was incredible. Not only it was a mixture of the old and the new, but as Anton had revealed to him, it was also one of the few Atlantean cities that survived the Great Cataclysm. It seemed that that was one of the reasons that led Emperor Peter I of Russia to order the construction of the muggle St. Petersburg, and the reconstruction of the city bellow. He however, would not live to see the reconstruction finished, as while the city spawned a large territory, it also went down for miles. Many architects, engineers and scholars from All the Russias had travelled to the ruins in order to "decipher" the old Atlantean city, as Peter not only wanted the city rebuilt, but he also wanted all the old yet advanced technological mechanisms repaired and functioning. The reconstruction was finished 160 years later, and due to the fact that the original name of the city was practically unpronounceable, they decided to simply name it St. Petersburg. It was not original, but it did the job.

Unlike Constantinople, St. Petersburg was a collection of buildings constructed both on the rock walls of the caves and of proper buildings separated from the walls. Harry and Beatrice were guided by Anton as the three walked through the streets and the alleys of the town. Amongst the most impressive sights were the hanging gardens that stood in one of the residential districts, giving the city a bit of vegetation. But while the city was enormous, Harry could plainly see that there were a large amount of people inhabiting it, considering how the streets were filled. According to Anton, the population of the city was of at least 5 million people, surpassing the entire population of magical Great Britain, which was of circa 3 million people.

But at the centre of the city, stood the largest building of all.

Historians believed that it once served as either a palace or a temple, but such things were only speculations. Currently, the massive structure served as an Aenean Cathedral and as the seat of the Patriarch of All the Russias. And according to Anton, it was there that Harry would be crowned as the magical Emperor and Autocrat of All the Russias, much like his predecessors did. And by doing so, Harry would be revealing to the entire Wizarding world which faith he followed.

There were however, certain parts of the city which were not accessible to the common populace. Amongst those were parts which were not totally rebuilt, high security locations which housed Atlantean artefacts, and even an entire district which once served as a necropolis, and which housed the tomb of a Proto-Atlantean King from what historians classified as the Early Classical era of Atlantean history. The trio went to these very locations, although they spent much more time in the Necropolis. While both Anton and Beatrice were rather nervous about the location, Harry could not help but feel fascinated by it. There was something about Atlantis that sparkled his interest, and it was not just a single subject of their history or their culture, but instead the whole of Atlantis and its vast empire that once dominated the known world. The fact that there still existed a tomb from someone who had lived at least hundreds of thousands of years ago in the Lost Age.

When the three left the Necropolis, Anton had one more thing to show them before they left for the Catherine Palace.

* * *

The three walked across a narrow corridor, filled with strange images that glowed either blue or red. The floor had equally strange engravings, except those had just a very dim glow.

" **What is this place?"** asked Harry.

" **No one exactly knows. We call it 'The Well' though."** said Anton **"You're about to see why."**

As the corridor came to an end, the trio entered a large round room. In the centre, sealed off by a blueish barrier, was a seemingly bottomless well. What was interesting about the well, was not the fact that it was bottomless, but the strange blue beams of light that from above, which emanated from the walls of the well, seemed to create a rather peculiar web pattern.

Harry looked at Anton, his face transmitting incredulity.

" **What is this?"**

" **As I told you before, no one knows. This section was repaired a few decades ago, and I was involved in it before I became part of the Regency Council. We had finished restoring this room, when suddenly the barrier appeared and the beams of light shot out from tiny holes in the well."** explained the Bulgarian wizard **"It was decided by the Restoration Council that this area would be placed under quarantine."**

" **Didn't the Atlantean have any…archives or something similar that explains these things?"** asked Beatrice.

" **That's the problem. The archives are there, but our understanding of the Atlantean language is practically non-existent. We have no foundation for a proper translation, and not even translation spells seem to help, as they just give us nonsensical words."**

" _So the mother of all known languages is untranslatable…"_ thought Harry

" **Not to mention that most Atlantean knowledge is not written, but apparently stored in strange devices. Most of what we know is based upon the engravings we find in old ruins."**

" **Are there more of these things?"** asked Harry.

" **There are a few on other ruins, and in a few cities."** replied Anton **"Strangely enough, the majority of them was already functioning."**

" **How many ruins have been discovered?"**

" **A few in the Himalayas, one in Thailand, many in South America, and some in Europe."**

" **None in Africa or Oceania?"**

"We have found none until now." replied Anton "There have been very few expeditions since the end of the 19th century, and most come back empty handed. Its mostly due to the fact that said expeditions are made with low quality equipment and resources."

And at that moment, Harry immediately knew what would be one of the focuses of his reign.

" _Let's just hope it won't be a waste of time and resources."_ thought the young monarch.

* * *

**Catherine Palace, St. Petersburg, Russia**

If there was something in abundance in this palace, it would have to be gold.

And while Harry thought that both the outside and inside decorating was rather elegant and magnificent, the abundance of gold was rather...excessive.

Nonetheless, both he and Beatrice would not stay there for long, as they would only be there for the coronation, and then both would immediately return to Constantinople. The sooner he was crowned as the Roman Emperor, the better. And as the calm summer night flew by, both Harry and Beatrice found themselves surrounded once again by the ominous pre-ceremony dressers, except this time they were Russian, and in the Wizarding world, Russians don't do things by half.

Fortunately for him, Harry escaped from their clutches in the first thirty minutes, but once again, Beatrice was not so lucky.

And across the capital, Heralds proclaimed the coronation to the population.

* * *

**Great Cathedral, St. Petersburg, Russia**

The interior of the cathedral was filled with people. From nobles, to merchants, and from clerics to commoners. Each and every one eagerly waited for the arrival of the Tsarevich and his wife, some whispering to others at their side. Those that had witnessed the coronation of the former two Empresses still remembered how the ceremony proceeded, and while some were about to watch it for the first time, there were others who would watch for either the second or the third time.

The doors of the cathedral opened, and every single head turned towards the entrance.

Harry was dressed in a black and white full dress uniform, while around his neck was the chain of the Order of Saint Andrew, and the other orders which he had received due to the first one were represented by the insignia he had on the uniform. On his back, was a golden ermine cloak with several double-headed eagles. Beatrice on the other hand, was dressed in a beige dress with silver patters, while the collar was decorated by red and blue jewels. Like her husband, she had a golden ermine cloak on her back.

Behind the two, was the Russian Imperial Guard, following the Tsarevich and his wife until the pair reached the dais, where two thrones were, and behind them, was the recently manufactured Banner of State, made for the coronation. But as the two rose to the dais, they did not sat on the thrones. Instead, the Patriarch gave a book to Harry, and the young wizard began to read the passages.

" **We believe in Aernus, maker of all things visible and invisible."**

" **And in His fellow divines, eleven and the others, which give shape to His creation and dream."**

" **From Him shall come Judgement, and from Him shall come Mercy, only to those who accept His glorious nature and creation."**

" **Amen."**

Harry returned the book to the Patriarch, who in turn gave it to another person. Some of the holy men removed the golden cloak from both Harry and Beatrice, and Harry removed from himself the chain of the Order of Saint Andrew. Upon doing so, the two were robed in purple, and Harry placed once again the chain, as the holy men returned to them the golden cloak.

Harry bowed his head before the Patriarch, who in turn laid his hands upon the future Russian monarch, and read two prayers over Harry. As soon as the prayers were read, Harry directed the Patriarch to hand him the Great Imperial Crown. The ageing man retrieved the crown from a pillow, and handed it to Harry, who placed it on his own head. The patriarch then read a prayer to the new Emperor.

" **Most absolute and mighty Lord, Emperor of All the Russias, this visible and t** **angible adornment of thy head is an eloquent symbol that thou, as the head of the whole Russian people, art invisibly crowned as a King of kings, with a most ample blessing, seeing that He who sleeps above bestows upon thee entire authority over His people."**

Harry was then given the sceptre and the orb, once again by the Patriarch.

**"God-crowned, God-given, God-adorned, most pious Autocrat and great Sovereign, Emperor of All the Russias. Receive the sceptre and the orb, which are the visible signs of the autocratic power given thee from the Most High over thy people, that thou mayest rule them and order for them the welfare they desire."**

Upon the end of the prayer, Harry sat on his throne, holding on his left hand the orb, and on the right the sceptre. He then summoned two of the clerics which were assisting the Patriarch, and as the two approached, each with a pillow on their hands, he placed the orb in one, and the sceptre on the other.

Beatrice knelt upon a crimson cushion that stood before his throne, and Harry removed his crown, and placed it briefly on top of her head, before placing it back on his own. He was then given a smaller version of the Imperial Crown, and he placed it on top of Beatrice's head, and around her neck, he placed a chain of the Order of Saint Andrew.

Upon doing so, Beatrice rose, and sat on the empty throne, and the church choir then began to sing.

" **Grant long life, O Lord God,**

**to our most pious Emperor Hadrian I.**

**O Lord, preserve him,**

**unto many years."**

The choir repeated the chant three times, and when it finished, the cathedral erupted into cheers and shouts of "Long live the Czar!" and "God save the Czar!" directed at the new monarchs.

Soon enough, the Imperial anthem of Russia was sung as well.

" **God, save the Czar!**

**Strong and majestic,**

**Reign for glory, For our glory!"**

" **Reign to foes' fear,**

**Orthodox Czar.**

**God, save the Czar!"**

* * *

_**Author's note:** _

And with Harry's coronation as the Russian Emperor, there is only one throne left.

The magical city of St. Petersburg was based on the city of Atlantis, from the Disney movie "Atlantis: The Lost Empire", and from the D'ni city of Ae'gura, which is part of the Myst franchise, and is featured in an expansion of the PC game Uru: Ages Beyond Myst and the online version known as Myst Online: Uru Live.

I have also made a family tree for Harry and Beatrice which is featured in my Deviant art account (it is under another pen-name). The tree is still incomplete at the moment however, and is only up to date with chapter 5. [Here is a link to it](http://anselmo499.deviantart.com/art/The-Habsburg-Anemas-line-from-my-HP-fanfic-543483672).

I am also thinking on whether harry should return to Hogwarts, but I am indecisive at the moment. You can be sure however, that he will return to Great Britain.


	8. Basileus kai Autokratōr

* * *

"Normal Speech"

_"Thoughts"_

**"Foreign Language"**

* * *

_**Chapter 8 – Basileus kai Autokratōr** _

The news spread fast across the world. The coronation of the new Russian Emperor and his wife became the talk of nearly every single witch and wizard, but it also attracted the attention of certain figures in the muggle world. In the bigger picture, the acclamation in Portugal had been the catalyst of a chain of events that had been accelerated by the coronation in St. Petersburg. While the majority of those figures had decided to only observe the event that occurred in the world that stood next to theirs, some had begun to make preparations regarding the major events that would take place on Earth, and would affect all those that lived on it. Both muggle and magical.

And while those individuals plotted, the Emperor and his consort had decided to return to the Hellenic provinces. However, they did not head to Constantinople. Instead, the young pair travelled to the city of Arta in Epirus, where stood one of the palaces that once belonged to the Anemas dynasty, and had been inherited by the Greek Habsburgs.

* * *

**Palace of Epirus, Arta, Epirus**

The palace had been built during the 16th century, by the orders of Doux Stephanos III of Nicaea, the grandfather of Michael I, the first king of Nicaea. It stood near the muggle city of Arta, which in turn stood above the underground city. The palace was not large, but it not small either. Much like Hogwarts and the cities, it was protected from the muggles by powerful enchantments, and if muggles looked at it, they would see a simple forest, and would have an irrational fear of both entering and damaging it.

The structure was a strange mixture of magical renaissance, ottoman and byzantine architecture, and was designed based on the Great Palace and a few other palatial structures around Europe at the time. The palace had become the official residence of the Anemas rulers of Nicaea, before King Alexios V had decided to move the royal residence to Nicaea itself.

 **"Don't you think this is rather…over the top?"**  asked Harry to Beatrice.

 **"When was it built?"**  she asked.

**"If I am not mistaken, then it was in the 16th century."**

**"Then from what I know about that era, I have to agree with you on that."**  she replied.

Considering that the palace had been built during both the muggle and the magical renaissances, it was rather exaggerated on it features. Still though, it had its own beauty, amongst the whole mix of architectures that reminded Harry of the Pena Palace. Except this one was far more wild that the other on that aspect.

The two had travelled to Arta in order to meet the regency council in private, away from the bustling city. Except it were not only the representatives, but all the twelve members. It would be the second time Harry would meet them, and this time it would be for a very long discussion regarding certain aspects of the Imperial law that were in a rather critical state.

* * *

While Beatrice was exploring the gardens of the palace, Harry had went to the meeting room of the palace, where the regents were waiting for him. They greeted each other formally, and each sat down on a chair around the long table.

 **"Are the preparations proceeding without any problem or delay?"**  he asked.

 **"They are Your Majesty."**  answered Ioannes  **"At the moment, the population of the empire knows of the coronation and when it will happen. The Palace of Ceremonies is nearly prepared for the coronation, and the military are being prepared for the ceremony and the parade."**

**"Good."**

**"You Majesty, why is it that you have summoned us here?"**  asked a man with a rather advanced age  **"I am sure that it was not only for information regarding the ceremony."**

 **"No, you are correct."**  he said  **"I am sure you know that when I ascend to the Roman throne, that the Regency Council will be dissolved."**

He received unsure nods.

 **"However, much like my ancestors, I cannot rule over an empire by myself. I need a court."**  said the young Despot  **"I want to re-establish the old Imperial Court, and the basic positions need to be filled before I ascend. Since you have been running the Empire during the absence of an Emperor, and in a rather effective way, I want to invite each of you to a position in the court."**

Harry could see their eyes shining and widening in a rather amusing way.

**"Unless you have no desire to be part of the court…"**

They immediately protested and declared that it was a pleasure and an honour to be invited to such the most prestigious ranks below that of the Emperor and the Imperial family. Harry grabbed a small book with a leather cover, similar in appearance to the diary of Tom Riddle. He then took a fountain pen, and looked at the regents.

" **Ioannes, since you already are the Eparch of Constantinople, that position places you on the court."**

The man nodded.

" **Regarding what I know from each of you, and your skills and capabilities, then I grant these positions to the following:**

**to Francesca Gabrielli, the position of Protasekretis;**

**to August Althaus, the position of Megas Logothetes;**

**to Anton Damyanov, the position of Logothetes tou Genikou;**

**to Mariam Bousaid, the position of Logothetes ton Oikeiakon;**

**to Alexios Komnenos Doukas, the position of Logothetes tou Stratiotikou;**

**to Carlos da Maia, the position of Logothetes tou Dromou;**

**to Benjamin Álvarez, the position of Chartoularios tou Vestiariou;**

**to Muhammad Fatimid, the position of Sakellarios;**

**to Manisha Patil, the position of Chartoularios tou Sakelliou;**

**to Tewodros Mengiste, the position of Epi tou Eidikou;**

**and to Vilhelm Engman, the position of Megas Domestikos"**

**"I assume you know that these positions have subordinate titles, and I expect each and every one of you to appoint capable and loyal people to those positions bellow you."**

The regents nodded at his words, and Harry was sure that they would be loyal to him, and then he and the council continued to discuss other topics.

Even so, he would make them swear a loyalty oath to him and to the Empire.

Just to be sure.

* * *

**12 Grimmauld Place, London, England (U.K.)**

The kitchen of Grimmauld Place was filled with people, and with the smell of Molly Weasley's food. Dumbledore was once again present, and was eating one of his lemon drops. However, their attention was shifted towards Hestia Jones, who just like the other day, had appeared with a newspaper on her hand.

"What happened now?" asked Dumbledore.

Hestia cleared her throat, and began to read.

* * *

_**NEW RUSSIAN EMPEROR CROWNED IN ST. PETERSBURG** _

_by Jacqueline Godier_

_Once again, my dear readers, it has been more than a decade since the Great Cathedral of St. Petersburg was filled with people, ranging from all social classes, to witness the coronation of the monarch of All the Russias. After being acclaimed as the King of Portugal, Hadrian von Habsburg was now, alongside his wife Beatrice, crowned as the Emperor and Autocrat of All the Russias in a grand and magnificent ceremony that took place yesterday, and he became the first male Russian monarch since the murder of Emperor Nicholas II, who was succeeded by his only surviving daughter, Anastasia. This coronation has now effectively renewed the Personal Union between Russia and the Portuguese dominions, both in Europe and overseas, which began with the ascension of the Queen-Empress Maria I. To those who do not delve much in history, this is also the third Personal Union which Portugal is part of, the first being with the Spanish kingdoms under the Habsburg dynasty, while the second one was with Brazil, under the control of Emperor Pedro I, who abdicated the Portuguese throne in favour of his daughter Maria da Gloria._

_Emperor Hadrian was crowned with his first name, deciding to take the name of his grandfather as the second name. By Russian naming conventions, the Emperor is now known (only in Russia) as Hadrian Alexandrovich, while his wife, despite being already an Aenean, decided to take the name of Maria Nikolaevna, in honour of St. Mary of Egypt. These symbolic name adoptions were an effective way of the Emperor to declare to his people which belief he followed, and his choice was met with great approval, not only from the Russian population, but from the population of the entire Roman Empire. As tradition and protocol dictates, the ceremony was not witnessed by any crowned head of state, being virtually a Russian only ceremony._

_For the young Emperor, there is now only one coronation left, that being the one which will give to us all a Roman Emperor since the days of Constantine XI. It has been confirmed that the ceremony will take place on the 28_ _th_ _of this month on the Palace of Ceremonies in Constantinople, and it is assumed that the amount of visitors to the city will surpass that of the city of Rome when Sixtus V was elected as Pope and Patriarch of Rome._

* * *

Once more, the kitchen was filled with silence, and Dumbledore motioned Hestia to hand him the Aquitanian newspaper, interested in seeing whatever image was there this time. His old eyes fell upon the sight of Harry leaving the cathedral with his wife at his side, with countless people cheering. Dumbledore did not knew when everything went wrong for him and his plans. Harry was away, and out of his reach and sphere of influence. He no longer had the Dursleys to subdue him, and was becoming more independent with each passing day. More than that, even he could see that despite its recent revival, some of the major members of the Order were no longer under his thumb, as they were during Voldemort's first campaign against Britain.

"So…what now?" asked Shacklebolt.

"At this moment Potter is far more protected than all of the vaults in Gringotts together." stated Moody.

"Can't you just send a letter with a trap-portkey?" asked Ginny.

"And what do you think that would cause?" retorted Tonks "Next thing we know, we have the Empire invading us with a just cause."

" _They'll invade either way."_  thought Sirius.

"How has been You-Know-Who reacting to this?" asked Hestia to Snape.

"Not well." answered the Potions Master "The Dark Lord has increased the amount of torture sessions and recruitment had been rather low, even amongst purists. They know who is the Dark Lord's main adversary and they know who is backing him."

"They fear retaliation."

Severus nodded.

"He is now focusing more in manipulating Fudge though Lucius Malfoy and other wealthy followers, hoping to gain some hold on the ministry." he stated.

Fudge's campaign against Dumbledore and Harry was being rather damaging in Great Britain. But it was Dumbledore who suffered the most, as the whole controversy regarding Harry's kidnapping had also pressured the ICW to remove Dumbledore from his position as the Supreme Mugwump, and it was followed by the removal of his position as Chief Wizard by the Wizengamot. At the moment, Dumbledore was simply the Headmaster of Hogwarts, a position that was ominously slipping from his hands.

And as the group discussed the events, they did not notice that Dumbledore had not even heard a word spoken by them, as he was more focused on his failed plans.

* * *

**Palace of Epirus, Arta, Epirus**

It was a rather nice day in Greece, and both Harry and Beatrice thanked whoever had the idea to construct a swimming pool on the grounds of the palace. It was a quarter past ten, and while Harr was resting on a chair, while his wife was relaxing on the water, his moment of calmness was interrupted by an owl which landed at his feet. He looked at the bird, and noticed it had a letter on its mouth. Harry took the letter from the owl, and he looked at it. The envelope was sealed with a crimson coloured wax, and the image on the seal was that of a man on a horse. He looked at the writing and his eyes widened immediately. Harry opened the envelope and removed the letter that was inside. Placing the envelope aside, he began to read.

* * *

**_To His Imperial and Royal Majesty,_ **

**_Hadrian of Russia and Portugal_ **

**_If you have not recognized the seal, then I believe it is proper for us to identify ourselves. We are Elizabeth the Second, Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, and sovereign of the Commonwealth realms. Your ascension to the Royal and Imperial thrones had gathered the attention a many individuals, and We are amongst them. Most importantly of all, it came to our attention that from your late father, you are also a Peer of the Realm, possessing the title of Duke of Hogsmeade. We wish to discuss not only your Peerage, but the unfortunate implications of segregation that have been occurring in the magical community Great Britain that began centuries ago. We are sure that as the future Emperor of the Romans, like us you wish to rectify this situation and return Great Britain to its rightful place in the Empire and not in a confederation where the kingdom is merely a French and American puppet._ **

**_Inside the envelope is a portkey which will bring you to the palace at fourteen of this day, Greenwich time, and it will be activated automatically._ **

**_We hope to meet you soon,_ **

**_Elizabeth II, by the Grace of God, of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and of Her other Realms and Territories Queen, Head of the Commonwealth, Defender of the Faith_ **

* * *

Removing himself from his stupor, Harry grabbed the discarded envelope and from within it he removed a large silver coin. He placed it back on the envelope and looked at his wife, who was floating on the water.

 **"Beatrice!"**  he called.

She tilted her head to the side and looked at him.

**"What?"**

**"We are going to visit the Queen!"**

**"We're wha-!"**

The Empress consort was shocked enough for her body to turn around and submerging her for a second, before she returned to the "surface".

" **We are visiting Queen Elizabeth this afternoon."**  he said  **"The portkey activates at sixteen, so we will be there at fourteen."**

The still shocked Beatrice nodded and returned to her previous state, floating on the pool, while harry did the same. Upon doing so, the owl flew away back to London.

* * *

**Buckingham Palace, London, England (U.K.)**

As soon as Harry and Beatrice materialized on the palace, they were greeted by the Royal escort, who brought them to a well decorated drawing room. The two sat, and waited for a few minutes, until the Queen entered followed by a small group of guards. The pair rose and the Queen headed towards them, before she dismissed the guards. Harry gave a small neck bow in greeting.

"It is an honour to finally meet you Your Majesty."

"Likewise Duke Hogsmeade." replied the Queen with a smile "And We presume that this young lady is Beatrice Victoria."

"Yes Your Majesty." she said, giving a small curtsy, her Prussian accent showing itself "As my husband said, it is an honour to meet you."

The Queen motioned them to sit down.

"From the letter you sent to me, it mentioned that you wish to discuss my position as the Duke of Hogsmeade."

"Indeed. In any other case We would not be concerned with it, but in the current circumstances, your position as the monarch of two foreign states in the magical world places Us in a difficult position."

"I see." he said, nodding "Let me assure you, Your Majesty, that I have no intentions of claiming British territory. I had though beforehand about this problem, and I believe I came up with an effective solution."

"Explain."

"It's rather simple actually. Due to the succession laws of Portugal and Russia, my first male child will be the heir apparent to those states, and when I become the Roman Emperor, I will also appoint him as my co-emperor and successor. Therefore, the titles that fall under the jurisdiction of another monarch, such as you, shall fall to my second child." he explained "That is, if this solution pleases you."

"It does Duke Hogsmeade." replied the Queen "That solution had also been thought by Us."

Harry smiled.

"But We have not summoned you here for that reason only."

Harry knew immediately what the Queen meant.

"This is regarding the British Wizarding World, am I correct?"

"You are."

"Then I shall unofficially assume my position as  _de facto_  Roman Emperor for the moment." he said "What do you wish to know from Us?"

"We know very little regarding the Magical counterpart to the United Kingdom of Great Britain, and from what We know it illegally separated itself from its counterpart after what We believe was an attempt at the throne…"

"You would be correct Queen Elizabeth." he answered "The coup was attempted by a French nobleman who tried to usurp the power of the Regency Council, creating a rather short Civil War in the Empire. They obviously lost, but both England and Scotland had seceded from the Empire, alongside what would become the Northern French Confederation."

"We are unaware of the reasons Our predecessors have not addressed this issue Your Majesty," said the Queen "But at the moment this is most alarming to Us, and We do not tolerate such treason."

"If you so desire, upon Our coronation We can assist you in regaining your Kingdom."

"At this moment, we are only de jure monarchs of the magical community." said the Queen "And for all that it matters, We will be extremely grateful for your help."

"It is my duty to restore the Empire, Queen Elizabeth." said Harry "And when the monarch of a nation wishes assistance to return to it, We are only glad to help."

" _We are glad indeed."_  he thought.

* * *

**Constantinople, Thrace**

It was the 28th of June. The day of the coronation.

Harry and Beatrice had been given each brand new Imperial regalia, made especially for them. It was blue in colour, and each was decorated with what seemed large golden stripes sewn into the Imperial dress, with many jewels. They had also many silver patterns decorating the blue parts of the attire. The pair had been prepared for the procession which would occur across Constantinople, ending in the Palace of Ceremonies.

The streets were filled with countless people, from all the corners of the world, not only from the Empire, but from the Confederation as well. It did not matter they were not imperial citizens, as this was an historical event and they wanted to witness it. But even so, security was tight, and many non-aggression enchantments were raised across the city. The procession began in the Basilica of Saint Constantine, where Harry met with the Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople Stephanos III. He prayed with the patriarch for about half an hour, before resuming the procession, where he travelled across several districts, receiving cheers and praises from those who watched.

As he reached the Golden Gate, which served as the ceremonial entrance to the Imperial District, Harry, Beatrice and several cavalry squadrons waited for the gate to be opened, and after a few minutes of waiting, the gates finally opened, allowing them passage into the main district of the city. Harry and Beatrice mounted a horse each, which had been left in that location especially for the entrance into the Imperial District. And as the two gave the order to move forward, they finally entered.

Harry and Beatrice waved at the crowd which had gathered, grateful for their support, while his horse moved forward. Looking at the Mese, as it extended towards the Forum of Arcadius, he noticed it was filled with people as well. The slow procession continued until they reached the Forum of Theodosius, which they entered through the Arch of Theodosius. Leaving the Forum, they continued through the Mese until reaching the Forum of Constantine. Harry looked towards the Column of Constantine, and observed the statue of the long dead emperor that stood on top of it. He ordered his horse to move forward, continuing to walk past the crowds, until he reached the Chalke, the gate that served as the entrance to the Palace Sector of the District.

As it opened, both Harry and Beatrice dismounted their horses, and headed towards the Palace of Ceremonies, guided by what could be described as a corridor of people. The walls of the palace were decorated with banners which showed not only the flag of the empire, but also those of the Imperial House.

Ioannes was waiting in front of the Royal entrance, acting not as regent, but as the Eparch of Constantinople.

Ioannes opened the Imperial Doors, allowing Harry to see the inside of the building. The walls, the floor and even the domes were decorated with magnificent mosaics, showing images of previous emperors and their consorts. Moving towards the dais where the thrones were, Harry recognized some of those that were inside. Amongst them were the other members of the Regency Council, Beatrice's parents, Carlos Delgado and Agata Petrovna, and the British Royal Family. There were others with he did not recognize, but he assumed they were either heads of state or of government. Much like the coronation in St. Petersburg, the palace was filled with people from all classes, but the amount of excitement was so great, even the building could collapse because of it.

As the two "climbed" the dais, Harry was once again greeted by the Patriarch, who had apparated to the Palace. He held a book in front of Harry, and he began to read.

" **We believe in Aernus, maker of all things visible and invisible."**

" **In His fellow divines, eleven sacred and the others, which shape His creation and dream."**

" **And In The Incarnate, who is crowned as the ruler of His people on this world."**

" **From Him shall come Judgement and from Him shall come Mercy, only to those who accept his glorious nature and creation."**

" **Amen."**

The Patriarch removed the book and handed it to a cleric. Two hole men then approached Harry, and wrapped around his waist a Loros, while two others placed one on Beatrice's waist. The two young wizards then placed a part of the Loros over the left hand. Harry had decided before the coronation to use the old style of the Loros, as the one used in the later years of the Empire was somewhat impractical.

And as the two finished the holy men returned, with a purple chlamys for both Harry and Beatrice. Harry knew that it was rather anachronistic and unorthodox for the Emperor to wear both the loros and the chlamys at the same time, but he wanted it to be done anyway. A new era was coming, and it would show to the people that he held both temporal and spiritual power in the Empire. The chlamys were placed on them, and as soon as they had been robed in purple, Harry bowed his head before the Patriarch, as he read two prayers while he laid his hands on him. As soon as he was finished, he turned towards those who were assisting, and he gave them a simple order.

" **Bow your heads to the Lord."**

He was then answered by those who spoke and understood Greek.

" **To you, O Lord."**

Those who did not, simply mimicked the actions of the others.

The patriarch was then given a crown. It was designed based on a Stemma and a Kamelaukion. He then approached harry, and held the crown above his head, and yet he did not place it on the young wizard's head. But as he held it above Harry's head, those who watched cried out:

" **Holy, Holy, Holy. Glory to God in the highest and peace on earth."**

" **O such great Emperor and Autocrat, may he be preserved for many years."**

It seemed that not even time had erased the old traditions of the coronation. As the Patriarch held the crown above his head, Harry raised his hands and grabbed the crown. The old religious man removed his hands from the object, and Harry lowered the crown onto his head. He was then given a sceptre with and armillary and a cross on top of it.

Harry then sat on the throne, and placed the sceptre next to it, as Beatrice knelt upon a cushion that stood before Hadrian's throne. He placed his crown on Beatrice's head for a moment, before placing it back on his own. He was then given the female variant of the Kamelaukion crown, and he placed it on Beatrice's head.

And as she sat on the throne, a choir composed of both male and female voices began to sing.

**"Grant long life, O Lord God,**

**to our most pious Emperor Hadrian II.**

**O Lord, preserve him,**

**unto many years."**

And after their repeated the chant three times, Harry believed he had some sort of Déjà vu, as the palace erupted into cheers and shouts of praise to the two monarchs. And as they calmed down, the Palace was filled with the harmonious sound of organs. Harry knew that the new hymn of the Roman Empire would be sung by a group of people chosen to do so. The lyrics had been adapted from the hymn of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, which he believed to be rather appropriate considering he was an Habsburg.

" **Gods save, Gods protect**

**Our Emperor, Our Empire!**

**Powerful through the support of the Faith,**

**He leads us with a wise hand!**

**Let the Crown of his Fathers**

**shield against any foe!**

**Rome's Destiny remains**

**intimately united with the Habsburg throne!"**

(space)

" **Pious and honest, true and open**

**Let us stand for the right and duty;**

**Let, if and only if, with joyful hope**

**Go courageously in the fight to us**

**Mindful of the bay sprigs**

**The army is often the case, the wall**

**Blood and Treasure for Our Emperor,**

**Blood and Treasure for Our Empire!"**

(space)

" **What the citizens diligently created**

**may the emperor's power protect;**

**With the cheery spirit weapons**

**Victory Arts and Science!**

**Blessed is the land allotted**

**And his fame the same blessing;**

**Helios's bright sun in peace**

**On a happy Rome!"**

(space)

" **Let us stand together firmly,**

**In the unity is power;**

**With the combined forces rule**

**If the severity accomplished easily,**

**Let us band of brothers through one**

**Go towards the same goal**

**Hail to the Emperor, healing the land,**

**Rome will stand forever!"**

(space)

" **At the Emperor's side prevails,**

**He related by common sense and,**

**Rich in charm that never outdated,**

**Our gracious empress.**

**What luck to be praised as highly**

**Stream from the sky on them:**

**Hail Hadrian, Hail Beatrice,**

**Blessing to the entire House of Habsburg!"**

* * *

_**Author's note:** _

And so the "Coronation Trilogy" is finished, despite the fact that there was no coronation in Portugal. And unless I change my mind, there will be no more coronations in the story (at least in the way I did these). And from this point forward, the story shall focus on the Renewal of the Empire.

On the hymn, the word Rome is not about the city in the Italian Peninsula, but about the Empire as a whole, and if it was about a city, it would be Constantinople, as it was once known as "New Rome". It also seems that the text does not allow spaces when the sentence is not in the correct "form". That is why I had to add the word "(space)" on the hymn.

The title translates as "Emperor and Autocrat".


	9. H.E.I.O.U.

Disclaimer: My chancellor is currently attempting to fabricate a claim on the Harry Potter franchise. Until I have the claim and manage to acquire it (which will be in at lest 2200), Harry Potter belongs to J.K. Rowling.

* * *

"Normal Speech"

_"Thoughts"_

**"Foreign Language"**

* * *

_**Chapter 9 – H.E.I.O.U.** _

**Great Palace, Throne Room, Constantinople**

The entire throne room was filled with people, and all of them were either courtiers or high officers of the Imperial Army. While the high officers of the Army were technically part of the court, most people saw them separated from the whole intrigue aspect of court life. Harry however, sat at the throne discussing with some of the military men the plans for the re-conquest of Great Britain, while the other courtiers were either entering or leaving the room, each busy with their own tasks. The size of the court had increased over the five days since the coronation, and from what Harry understood, there were at least now fifty courtiers, and the number was constantly increasing and Harry estimated that at the end of the year there would be at least a thousand courtiers in the Imperial Court.

 **"But what about the…high profile members of the British community?"** he asked.

 **"That is up to you, Your Majesty."** replied the Megas domestikos.

Harry kept silent for a moment, before he stood up and motioned the military courtiers to follow him. He entered what could be described as a "strategic planning room", and on a large table was the map of Great Britain, with every single wizard village or community marked on it. Amongst those were the ones incorporated in the muggle cities and villages, such as London and Norwich. The primary target however, was the Ministry of Magic in London, and Hogwarts Castle, as he supposed that Dumbledore would not gladly accept Britain's re-integration into the empire, and the old castle which once belonged to the now extinct Potter family and now _de jure_ rested in the hands of the Second Habsburg Monarchy, was basically Dumbledore's "seat of power".

"Those…members of the so called British high society will either attempt to resist our attack, attempt to escape with their possessions, or will simply accept the occupation and the new government which we will impose." said the Emperor "The Irish Army will be used to make sure that those wizards will not attempt anything stupid."

 **"Why the Irish Army, Your Majesty?"** asked one of the generals.

 **"Their small size and relative proximity is far more useful on that task. They shall then be split across Britain for that purpose."** he replied, to which he received a nod from the general.

Harry then turned towards the Megas domestikos.

**"What are your remaining battle plans?"**

Engman moved towards the map and removed his wand from the holster, using it to point at the map.

**"A Mixture of the Dutch, Belgian and Prussian armies, alongside a special Imperial Tagma shall be used for the entire invasion. The Dutch and Belgian shall be used primarily for the capture of the school castle, while the Prussian regiment and the Imperial Tagma shall be used for the capture of the ministry."**

Harry nodded and began to speak.

 **"At this time of the year, the castle is mostly unguarded, and the only ones that reside inside are the staff and the ghosts. From what I know however, the castle is protected by powerful enchantments."** he said **"How are you going to surpass that?"**

 **"The goblins are assisting us on that Your Majesty."** replied a general **"Both on the castle and the ministry."**

Harry was suddenly remembered of when Arkus had broken the protections in Hogwarts, but then he also remembered something else.

 **"What about Azkaban?"** he asked **"Someone can use the invasion as an opportunity to release the prisoners."**

**"We shall send soldiers to that location as well, alongside a small group of Blind Monks."**

Harry became confused at that.

**"Why would you send Blind Monks with the soldiers to Azkaban?"**

**"They are somehow able to permanently dispose of Dementors."** replied Engman **"It involves one of their special rituals that is related to their... condition."**

**"Condition?"**

**"Their blindness."**

Harry nodded at the answer, before returning to the main topic of the discussion.

**"How exactly will you enter the ministry?"**

One of the generals placed on top of the map another map, alongside what resembled blueprints.

 **"From what he have gathered, there are some blocked of entrances to the ministry, from when it was built."** he explained **"He can deploy the soldiers at those locations, make sure that the muggles remain oblivious to the event, and remove the barriers that prevent our entrance."**

**"Have you thought about any anti-apparition enchantments and other things similar?"**

**"That has also been taken care of, Your Majesty."** replied Engman.

Harry looked at the blueprints of the ministry, and something attracted his attention."

**"Something is not right in here."**

The others looked in confusion at the monarch.

**"How so?"**

**"It seems that whoever designed this thing placed an entrance to nowhere in this level."** explained Harry while pointing at a section of the blueprints.

Engman then looked closely at where Harry was pointing., before his eyes widened in understanding.

 **"Oh, that would be the entrance to the restricted sections of the Department of Mysteries."** explained the Megas domestikos **"That location is not of our current concern."**

**"Very well then."**

The rest of the morning was spent, discussing and reviewing the plans for the invasion which would take place on the next day, while Harry would spend the entire afternoon inside the Time-Compression chamber, not only studying, but also training himself.

* * *

**Ministry of Magic, London, England (U.K.)**

It was a rather normal day in the Ministry of Magic.

People appearing in the fireplaces that were located in the atrium, buying the Daily Prophet, money going back and forth, inbred idiots writing laws, flying letters entering elevators…

The usual.

That is, until the floo network suddenly stopped working and all protective enchantments fell apart. Yet the only ones who notice this were the maintenance department of the ministry, and they would be too late to fix the issue or even warn anyone. But then the entire ministry felt a large tremor, and that was when everyone stopped. The first tremor was then followed by a second and a third. And then suddenly, the walls "exploded". Aurors which were nearby immediately ran towards the holes, but were cut short as red coloured jets of light rendered them unconscious. People immediately panicked and shouted, as wizards dressed in dark blue, black and red military uniforms "came out from the walls". Most however, did not notice the differently dressed wizard which was accompanying them.

Unlike the normal soldiers, excluding those from the Imperial Tagma, Harry's uniform was a strange mixture of Austrian, Ottoman and Byzantine military fashion, and his was the only one coloured with tyrian purple and a shorter version of the chlamys. Harry was accompanied by a small group of Imperial Guards, and as the other soldiers battled and easily defeated the British aurors, they headed towards the Ministry's Offices, accompanied by some soldiers as well, and taking down a few aurors on the way.

* * *

This was not a good day to be Cornelius Fudge.

What was supposed to be a normal day in the Ministry of Magic, was turned into a scene from a political nightmare. The aurors were being neutralized quickly by the invaders, and without any kind of protection, the minister had locked himself inside his office. He could neither apparate nor use the floo and it was only a matter of time before they, whoever they were, got to him. He began to hear what resembled bodies falling onto the floor outside the office and shouts in a language he did not recognize. The door then burst open, and soldiers entered, pointing their wands at Cornelius. He knew that trying to get out of this situation was going to be impossible, but his eyes widened to near comical proportions when a certain person entered the room.

"Potter?!" he nearly yelled and spluttered "What is the meaning of this?!"

"This Mr. Fudge, is what one could call a royalist takeover of a separatist regime." replied Harry "Her Majesty does not find herself amused with the attempts at separatism from the British wizard community, and has expressed to me her desire for this situation to be…amended by any means necessary. Therefore, in my capacity as the Duke of Hogsmeade, I have gladly decided to assist Her Majesty in reclaiming the kingdom, and by consequence, remove Britain from the so called International Confederation of Wizards."

Harry turned towards one of the soldiers.

**"Go and warn the generals that Cornelius Fudge had been apprehended."**

The soldier nodded and left the room, while Harry turned towards the former minister.

"Your ministry has fallen, and now a new government shall take its place." he stated "And as the first and new Prime Minister of the magical United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, I will make sure that this…decadent society is rebuilt properly, away from the hand of blood purists and Dumbledore worshippers."

Harry turned towards the soldiers remaining in the room.

**"Keep him secure and make sure he does not try to escape."**

He received nods, and headed towards the Chamber of the Wizengamot, passing though the unconscious aurors and the Imperial soldiers which were securing his path. He was surprised how little skill the aurors had, but then, Hogwarts's teaching quality had dropped over the years, especially in potions and with the whole curse on the position of DADA professor. Apparently, some subjects had been removed with Dumbledore's predecessor, and a lot more had been removed in Dumbledore's later years as the headmaster of Hogwarts.

That had to be fixed as well.

* * *

After the fall of the ministry, many hours were then spent fixing things which were broken, interrogating those who were apprehended, especially the Unspeakables, who Harry knew to have the most secretive tasks in the entire hierarchy of the now defunct Ministry of Magic. The interrogations were made using Veritaserum, despite the fact that most of those who drank it did so unwillingly. Coincidentally, most of those had been purebloods, who kept shouting that their rights made it illegal to use Veritaserum on them. Harry found that very amusing, as it seemed that they had not yet understood the fact that the former laws had been basically flushed down the toilet.

Laws. Now there was another important matter.

With the fall of the ministry, once could say that the entire British magical community had been placed onto a very short and temporary anarchy. Luckily, it was so short no one noticed it, otherwise there would have been unforeseen consequences. With the help of the goblins, Hogwarts had been captured, and strangely enough, Dumbledore was not on the castle at the time. Harry was not pleased with these news. It was not normal for Dumbledore to leave "his fortress" unguarded, whose only living sentient inhabitant was an old squib. Still though, the duchy was not completely taken over. There was once a time when the Forbidden Forest was named such due to the fact that it was what one could call a natural reserve. Now it held that name due to the colonies of centaurs and acromantulas that had taken over the forest. It seemed that the spiders had devoured most of the population of the forest, and the centaurs, with their unrestricted hunting, had near-exterminated the rest. When he had learned of this, he had been furious, and it no longer mattered that one centaur had saved him a few years ago. Their race had stumbled upon HIS forest and simply took it over as if it was theirs.

The solution however, had been quite simple, and Harry had to thank his sleeping self for the existence of magic. He had ordered the complete burning of the forest, wanting to cleanse it of the parasites that had invaded it. The inhabitants of the village of Hogsmeade had to be reassured that the fire and the smoke was under control however, but nonetheless he suspected that in at least three days, there would no longer be a proper forest, but its charred remains. And from there, those would be removed, and with the assistance of magic, a new forest would take its place. With luck, both the centaurs and the acromantulas would be consumed by the fires, and while Harry knew that the remnants of the animals that had inhabited the forest would be killed as well, it was a small sacrifice for the safety and renewal of Hogsmeade and Hogwarts.

But now, Harry sat of the office of the former minster, looking at a few lists in front of him. Said lists were composed of several magical families, and amongst them was the infamous list of the "Sacred Twenty-Eight". Next to those lists, were a group of books with details regarding the many important and less important magical families of the British Isles. From those, he had learned that the Potter family, who had Scottish origins, had been originally a bastard cadet branch of an old Scottish noble family, who held back then the isolated Earldom of Hogsmeade. When the last of the family died, it was the Potters who inherited the Earldom, and it was a few generations later that the heir to the Potter line married a witch, giving birth to the first generation of magical Potters. It had been several generations later that the Earldom had been elevated to the status of Duchy, by the orders of Macbeth, King of the Scots, raising the envy of the other noble magical families, as those lacked any important noble titles. The then Earl of Hogsmeade, Malcolm Potter, who was a close friend of Macbeth, had virtually become, in political terms, the most powerful man in all of magical Scotland.

It seems that is was also somewhere during that time that the Gryffindor line had become extinct, after the marriage of a daughter of Godric Gryffindor to the then heir apparent to Hogsmeade, which was part of the contract that allowed the Founders to use the old castle near the lake to serve as the new school, and the mysterious death of Godric's male heir in a hunting accident near the black lake. The Potters had absolutely no involvement on the accident, as it was only that, a simple, Potter-less accident.

But there were a few things on the books and the lists that irritated him a lot. It seemed that sever the decades, a few families had begun to use false titles of nobility, and some even dared to forge documents that claimed that they had been part of the British magical community longer than they had actually been. One of such families was the Malfoy family, which claimed to have come to England during the Norman invasion, but in reality had been one of the families which had been behind the attempted coup in the Roman Empire which lead to the formation of the ICW.

Nevertheless, he was looking at those lists and books for a simple reason. He had to create a new legislative and judicial body, similar to the upper and lower houses of the British muggle government. Creating a bicameral system was out of question, as that would place too much power on the hands of muggleborns and he knew the kind of damage they could create, especially the kind of muggleborn whose ideals were equal to those of the recusants. What he would create would be a custom mixture of the House of Lords and the Wizengamot, with a few things added in, but for that he needed to root out the false nobles, and grant a seat on the single house. He spent at least two hours designing and reviewing the system which the new government would use, and together with the new constitution he had drafted in the Time-Compression chamber before the capture of the ministry, Wizarding Britain would soon be back on its track.

As it was complete, he looked at his leather journal, where he had written a few details of the new government. It was a shortened version, but it transmitted the message nonetheless.

* * *

_**The House of the Lord Deputies of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland** _

_The above name is to be known as the official designation of the new unicameral legislative and judicial body that shall govern, alongside the Prime Minister, the magical community of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. In official terms, the chamber can also be referred to in official documents as the British Parliament, the Parliament of Great Britain, the House of Lord Deputies or simply the House of Lords. This house shall have a maximum limit of 80 members, each requiring either a peerage (life or hereditary), or the simple fact that their house is ranked as an Ancient house. The presiding officer of the House of Lord Deputies shall be known officially as the Lord President of the Chamber, his or her role being described in another page (alongside the others). The effective leader of the Parliament is the current reigning monarch of the United Kingdom (at the time being Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II)._

_The current Prime Minister of the United Kingdom is Hadrian Maria Alexandros James Philip Charlus Manuel Michael Gabriel Raphael Gonzaga Francisco de Assis Eugenio Doukas Angelos Komnenos Palaiologos von Habsburg and Anemas, the Duke of Hogsmeade._

_By suggestion of Her Majesty, I have sorted the current members of the new parliament, according to the rank of their houses. The ranking of the houses had been also reviewed, and suffered alterations:_

_-The designation of_ _**Ancient House** _ _, shall be only attributed to those that have been in a continuous and non-interrupted existence for at least 700 years. It should be noted that being an Ancient house does not automatically grant a seat in the parliament. There are special procedures for that (which are described in another section)._

_-The designation of_ _**Noble House** _ _shall only be attributed to those houses which have held the same peerage (or a royal title) for at least two generations or are a cadet branch of another noble house._

_-The designation of_ _**Noble and Ancient House** _ _is only attributed to those which fulfil the requirements of the two above._

_-The designation of_ _**Noble and Most Ancient House** _ _is only attributed to those who have held the same peerage (or royal title) for at least two generations (or are a cadet branch of another noble house) and their house has been in a continuous and non-interrupted existence for at least 900 years._

_These designations do not affect any house which itself has a rank above those, such as a Royal or an Imperial House. Life peerages can only be granted by the current reigning monarch._

_(…)_

_The current list of members of the Parliament at this month and year (July of 1995) is the following:_

_**Life Peerages:** _ _None at the moment_

_**Ancient House:** _ _Kingsley Shacklebolt; Dolores Umbridge; Muriel Prewett; Malcolm Bulstrode; Arthur Kettleburn; Amos Diggory; Xenophilius Lovegood; Peter Jordan; Pius Thicknesse; Harold Macmillan; Albert Bell; Rufus Scrimgeour; Samuel Selwyn; William Parkinson; Charles Higgs; Robert Abbott_

_**Noble House:** _ _Ferdinand Goldstein; Philip Davies_

_**Noble and Ancient House:** _ _Richard Flawley; Amelia Bones; Alastor Moody; Augusta Longbottom; Horace Slughorn; Joseph Greengrass_

_**Noble and Most Ancient House:** _ _Hadrian von Habsburg; Sirius Black; Theodore Nott; Elphias Doge_

_It should be noted that Augusta Longbottom holds the hereditary seat of the Longbottom family due to the current de jure head of house being mentally incapable of holding the office._

_Theodore Nott replaces his father, Edward Nott, on the fact that the latter is a possible member of the terrorist organization known as the Death Eaters._

_The House of Habsburg-Anemas, being a cadet branch of the Habsburg branch of the House of Lorraine and of the House of Anemas (which is in turn a cadet branch of the Palaiologos dynasty), is unofficially classified as a Noble and Most Ancient House for convenience, despite it being officially classified as an Imperial and Royal House. (…) With the legal extinction of the Potter family, the title of Duke of Hogsmeade was inherited by the closest Potter agnate, that being Hadrian von Habsburg._

(…)

* * *

Harry read the pages over and over again, trying to find any visible mistake. A few ones were spotted as he read the text, and were immediately corrected. He knew that many would be surprised about the changes in the regime, and there would be many houses that would lose their status due to the new ranking system. Now however, he needed to transmit the new changes to the entire country.

Well, it was time to make sure that the Daily Prophet had some useful purpose.

* * *

**Great Britain**

The next day, across the entire magical community of the United Kingdom, upon buying and looking at the front page of the Daily Prophet, people immediately went back home, to reveal the news to their families, while those who were under the custody of the Imperial Army were given the news by them. With the Ministry of Magic dissolved, and a new government taking its place, one which was both loyal to the Queen and to the Roman Empire, many knew that severe changes were coming. Some were pleased, others were not. Ironically enough, most of those who were not pleased were blood purists, and amongst them was the self-styled Leader of the Light, Albus Dumbledore, and not surprisingly, the self-styled Dark Lord Voldemort.

While there were many who were outraged about the fact that their family was no longer part of the high ranked ones, others were mostly confused about the list of wizards which would be part of the new parliament, especially due to the fact that the one who had created the list was the one they formerly knew as Harry Potter. At his request, the Daily Prophet had made a special article revealing his true identity, and a mildly edited version of the story which had ultimately brought him to his current state and rank. What confused them whoever, was the fact that the "Gryffindor Golden Boy" had created a parliament with people which had dark aligned ideals.

In all honesty, Harry could not care less about their political alignment. As long as they were loyal to him, to the Empire and to the Queen, there was no concern. A new era was dawning upon the entire Wizarding world, and he was to be the one who would command it.

After all, the entire world is destined to be ruled by the Habsburgs.

* * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You may have noticed that Harry's name is slightly longer than the one in chapter 2. The version in this chapter if the full name, and the one in chapter 2 is the short version. I made a little research, and noticed that not all Royal families have a lack of a surname, as for example, some members of the House of Braganza have "de Bragança" at the end of their full names. The monarchs of the Eastern Roman Empire also used the name of their dynasty as a surname, such as Andronikos II Palaiologos, whose full name was "Andronikos Doukas Angelos Komnenos Palaiologos". Lily's name in chapter 2 is also the short version.
> 
> By the way, Harry was not born in Britain, and I am still deciding where he was truly born.


	10. Two Sinful Mortals

Disclaimer: My chancellor is currently attempting to fabricate a claim on the Harry Potter franchise. Until I have the claim and manage to acquire it (which will be in at lest 2200), Harry Potter belongs to J.K. Rowling.

* * *

"Normal Speech"

_"Thoughts"_

**"Foreign Language"**

* * *

_** Chapter 10 – Two Sinful Mortals   
** _

**Parliament Chamber, Ministry of Magic, London (U.K.)**

Harry observed the newly furnished room which would serve as the meeting place for the House of Lords. It was very similar to its muggle counterpart, and there were a few normal portraits on the walls, all of them replications, and the one which stood out was that of Queen Mary, the first English witch monarch. The layout was the same as that of the muggle parliaments, and behind the seat of the Lord President, was a high platform where a throne would be placed, imitating the meeting chamber of the muggle House of Lords.

The seats of the members of the house had been placed accordingly, each marked with a small emblem showing to whom it belonged. His for example, showed a simplified version of the coat of arms of the Habsburg-Anemas dynasty with his own monogram on top of it. The other nobles shared the same formula, while the members of Ancient Houses only had the monogram.

There were two upper galleries in the chamber: one for the visitors and another for the heirs apparent or presumptive of the members of the house. The entire room was heavily charmed with anti-aggression charms and protective enchantments. It was literally impossible to perform any aggressive act in the room, being it a simple slap in the face, to casting the Killing Curse. The person would simply be compelled to act in a non-aggressive manner, and not even the most skilled wizard in mind arts would be able to bypass the enchantments.

Ignoring the room for a few moments, Harry decided to observe his own clothing. He was wearing the ducal regalia of the Dukes of Hogsmeade, which was somewhat similar to the regalia used by monarchs such as the Kings of France, except for the fact that these were made in a way that he could walk around with them if he wished, not being long enough to touch the floor and possessing a somewhat light weight. The predominant colours were black and golden, with an ermine collar and around his neck was a gold chain of office. The only thing missing was the coronet, as that was not very practical to be wearing in normal occasions.

If there was one thing that Harry had discovered about himself since he had risen to his current offices, was that while not being a great fan of his own fame, he certainly enjoyed the power and the ceremony that came with his titles.

However, he was brought out of his thoughts when he heard someone entering the room. Turing around, his eyes fell on a woman with a somewhat stern face, dressed in a somewhat modest regalia. Next to her, was one of his classmates from Hogwarts, Susan Bones. He reached the conclusion that the woman in front of him was the current Countess of Whilthorn, Amelia Bones.

"Lady Whilthorn." he said to the woman "A pleasure to finally meet you."

"Likewise Your Grace." she replied with a nod "I presume you have already met my niece and current heir, Miss Susan Bones."

"Indeed I have." he said "A pleasure to meet you again Miss Bones."

"Thank you Your Grace, it is a pleasure as well." responded Susan with a small smile.

"I must admit I was rather shocked and impressed with your recent…achievements Your Grace." said the countess "Especially regarding your ascension to certain positions."

"You and the majority of Britain, Lady Whilthorn." said Harry.

"But what exactly was the point of this…invasion? This…capture?" she asked.

"Officially, because Her Majesty The Queen requested this from me."

"The Queen!?" she exclaimed in shock.

"Yes. "he stated "And unofficially, because I want to restore the Empire. In the end, it was a good deal to us both."

Amelia nodded in acknowledgement at his statement, and the three wizards turned around, as more people entered the room. This time, it was someone they all knew, his being Alastor Moody, the Marquess of Duncree, and Augusta Longbottom, the Countess regent of Cadfield, accompanied by her grandson Neville. Each was dressed in the appropriate clothing associated with their titles. The greetings were formal, and Harry could not help but find it somewhat funny to see his "former professor" acting in such a way, instead of his constant shouting and verbal paranoia. When questioned about the why of their presence there, Harry merely told them to wait for the others to arrive, as it would be best to explain things just once. The others did found it somewhat suspicious when Moody went and whispered something to Harry, who responded with a simple nod.

In less than five minutes arrived Richard Flawley, the Baron of Flawley, Ferdinand Goldstein, the Viscount of Larbournshire, and Elphias Doge, the Earl of Idswick. With them had also arrived some of those who just belonged to an Ancient House, such as Kingsley Shacklebolt, Muriel Prewett and Dolores Umbridge.

They were followed by Theodore Nott, who had recently become the Marquess of Averdale, Horace Slughorn, the Viscount of Waleford, Philip Davies, the Baron of Passbury, and Joseph Greengrass, the Earl of Wendale. With them came the remaining members of the Ancient Houses, and each was dressed accordingly. Much like with Amelia and Augusta, those who had heirs had come accompanied by them.

"Is there anyone else coming?" asked Elphias Doge.

Harry gave a quick look at the people in the chamber, seeing if there was anyone missing besides the person he was waiting for.

"Just one more left Lord Idswick." he replied to the man "He should be arriving in moments."

Conveniently, just as he finished that sentence, dressed in regalia much like the others, appeared Sirius Black out of nowhere, holding on his hand a silver pocket watch.

"Sirius Black!" someone shouted pointing at the man.

The other immediately turned towards the man, and after a few seconds, while some seemed to be pale with fear, others seemed to be struggling with something.

"Why…why can't I draw my wand?" asked a seemingly struggling Goldstein.

"None of us can!" exclaimed Rufus Scrimgeour.

Harry chuckled, and the others looked at the young duke.

"That would the 'pacification field' taking effect." he explained.

"Pacification field?" asked Moody.

"This chamber had been charmed with a very complex cluster of various anti-aggression charms, making it impossible for anyone to perform any kind of violent act. For example, if you tried to slap or cast any unforgivable at someone, then you will find yourself unable to do any of those things."

While most people looked impressed, they were still looking at Sirius with fear and confusion.

"But why is Black here?" asked someone.

"Well, Sirius Black is the Earl of Settford." stated Harry as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"No he isn't." sneered a man which Harry identified as Samuel Selwyn.

"Oh really?" he asked sarcastically "Then who is?"

"Lucius Malfoy's son of course!"

Harry snorted at that statement.

"And how exactly would Malfoy junior be the Earl of Settford?" he asked in a tone that required no answer "Sirius Black never died, and even if he did, by the former and current laws of magical Britain, as the godson of Sirius Black, I would have inherited the title, not the Malfoy spawn."

Selwyn began to splutter, but Harry continued his little speech.

"Oh, and if he claims to be the Earl, the he is in a lot of trouble, as false claimants of peerage are considered illegal and near high treason in our world."

Selwyn's mouth snapped shut, and some people paled a little.

"Anyway, after new evidence regarding his innocence surfaced, in my capacity as the Emperor of the Romans, I officially declared Sirius Black not guilty of all charges." said Harry "He is as free as any other person."

Most people paled, remembering the fact that the young teenager in front of them was at the moment, at least politically, the most powerful wizard in the entire world.

"Regardless, since you are all here, then I believe it is time we started." he proclaimed "As I am sure you understand from the letters sent to you, you have been invited to be part of the new legislative and judicial body of Her Majesty's Government in our community. There have been changes in the structure of magical British society, and I hope that you have, or at least will understand the changes and how everything works now."

"Erm, Your Grace?" asked Theodore Nott.

"Yes, Lord Averdale?"

"I wish to know why I have become the Marquess of Averdale, since it was my father who possessed the title. He is still alive, so we were somewhat sceptical about this."

"The reason your father is no longer the Marquess of Averdale, is due to his 'former' connections to the terrorist group known as the Death Eaters. Regardless of whether he was under the Imperius Curse or not, the Queen has decided to revoke the titles of those associated with them, and grand them to their heir, in the event of him or her being non-affiliated with any terrorist organization."

Despite not being pleased with the mention of his father's activities, Theodore nodded in acknowledgement of Harry's explanation. The title was now his, so he had honestly nothing against it.

"So, as I am sure you have all at least noticed, this room is the new meeting chamber of the House of Lords. Above us are the Visitor's Gallery, which can only be accessed with authorization from the Prime Minister, and the Heir's Gallery, which I am sure you understand its function."

"Over there is the seat of the Lord President of the Chamber, him or her being the presiding officer of the House of Lords, and on the platform behind it is where a throne for Her Majesty shall be placed." he continued to explain "Regardless of your political affiliation, you will either sit on the left, or on the right, depending of which faction is currently in favour, and your position regarding to the current Prime Minister's political ideologies."

"What kind of political affiliations?" asked William Parkinson.

"It depends on whether you are conservative, or have more liberal tendencies." He replied "Be mindful that conservative ideologies are not referring to the former government's blood purist tendencies, but to the preservation of universal wizard culture, as in the laws and customs of the Empire." he said "I for instance, consider myself part of the Conservative faction. That does not mean however, that if you share similar ideologies to mine or someone else, you will have to agree with them in everything."

"The seats are connected with you, in a certain way. As I am a conservative, then from the point of view of the Lord President, I sit on the right, while my primary opposition sits on the left."

"What exactly are your ideologies?" asked Theodore.

"As a conservative, I am a staunch supporter of the Monarchy, of the practice of the Perennial cults, and general Atlantean based traditions." he replied "I am not, however, a supporter of what many call pureblood supremacy. As an Aenean Orthodox, I have an uttermost belief in supremacy with religion than in supremacy with blood."

Harry went towards his seat, and opened a book that was on the table in front of it.

"If you wish to accept the invitation to be part of the new government, then you must sign this book with your name, being it either the short or full version, on the column which indicates your preferred alignment."

The first to step forward was Kingsley, who grabbed a fountain pen which was next to the book, finding slightly odd the lack of a feather. He looked at the book, and what was written in one of the pages

* * *

_**Conservative faction:** _

_Supports Wizarding traditions, including old customs and beliefs. Has a strict approach to the structure British Wizard Society._

_**Neutral Conservative faction:** _

_Shares the majority of its ideals with the Conservative faction, and may even share some with the Liberal faction._

_**Liberal faction:** _

_Has a more liberal approach to the traditions of the Wizarding World, and supports moderate change in the magical society._

_**Neutral Liberal faction:** _

_Shares the majority of its beliefs with the Liberal faction, and may even share some with the Conservative faction._

* * *

As soon as he read the descriptions, Kingsley signed his name into one of the columns, and the dark skinned wizard was followed by the others present. Several moments later, all the members of the House present had signed their names on the book. Harry then looked at the book, seeing who had signed where.

* * *

_**Conservative faction** _ _**:** _ _Hadrian von Habsburg and Anemas; Theodore Nott; William Parkinson; Charles Higgs; Sirius Black; Muriel Prewett; Dolores Umbridge; Pius Thicknesse; Amelia Bones_

_**Neutral Conservative faction** _ _**:** _ _Alastor Moody; Samuel Selwyn; Malcolm Bulstrode; Rufus Scrimgeour; Joseph Greengrass_

_**Liberal faction** _ _:_ _Amos Diggory; Peter Jordan; Philip Davies; Elphias Doge; Richard Flawley; Ferdinand Goldstein; Robert Abbot; Albert Bell_

_**Neutral Liberal faction** _ _:_ _Kingsley Shacklebolt; Arthur Kettleburn; Harold Macmillan; Xenophilius Lovegood; Augusta Longbottom; Horace Slughorn_

* * *

As each had written their name on the book, the seats had rearranged themselves, now in the correct location associated with their affiliation. Harry told them to find their respective seat, and moments later, all the seats had been filled. Right next to Harry was Theodore Nott and Amelia Bones, while opposite of him, on the other faction, was Elphias Doge. The next hour was spen discussing the new government and its laws, and in the end, Harry could not help but be rather satisfied about his own work.

But now, he had something else to do.

* * *

**Constantinople, Thrace**

Harry had no time to make reunions with Sirius or any other person, as he had far more important matters on his hands, such as the current one. He was now in one of the districts of Constantinople, in front of the Church of Saint Constantine the Ethnomartyr, where was located the crypt of the Anemas dinasty. There was a very large crowd gathering near, and many of those people were from Russia and Portugal. Near Harry was Carlos Delgado and Pedro da Silva, the former Portuguese President of the Council of Ministers, who had held the position when his mother was the Queen. Near him was also Agata Petrovna and Alexei Ivanov, her predecessor, who like Pedro, had been the head of government of the respective nation when his mother was the reigning empress.

In front of the entrance to the medium sized church, was a man dressed in black robes with a golden and silver chain of office around his neck, and on one of his hands was a scroll. He looked at a man near him, and was handed a black and golden staff. He knocked at the door with the staff three times, and gave the staff back to the man. A voice was then heard coming from behind the closed doors.

**"Who is there?"**

The Master of Ceremonies opened the scroll, and began to read.

**"Her Imperial and Royal Majesty Lillian von Habsburg, Empress and Autocrat of All Russia, Moscow, Kiev, Vladimir, Novgorod, Queen of Portugal and the Algarves of either side of the sea in Africa, Angola, Mozambique and Nicaea, Tsaritsa of Kazan, Tsaritsa of Astrakhan, Tsaritsa of Poland, Tsaritsa of Siberia, Tsaritsa of Chersonese Taurian, Tsaritsa of Georgia, Lady of Pskov and Grand Princess of Smolensk, Lithuania, Volhynia, Podolia, Finland, Archduchess of Austria, Princess of Estland, Livland, Courland, Semigalia, Samogitia, Belostok, Karelia, Tver, Yugorsky land, Perm, Vyatka, Bolgar, Cape Verde, São Tomé and Príncipe, Timor, Goa and others, Lady and Grand Princess of Nizhny Nogorod, Chernigov, Ryazan, Polotsk, Rostov, Yaroslavl, Belozersk, Udorsky land, Obdorsk, Kondia, Vitebsk, Mstislav, and all of the northern countries Mistress, and Lady of Iberia, Kartli, and Kabardia lands and Armenian provinces, Circassian and Mountainous Princes and their Hereditary Lady and Owner, Lady of Turkestan, Guinea, Macau and of Conquest, Navigation, and Commerce of Ethiopia, Arabia, Persia, and India, etc., Heiress of Norway, Duchess of Schleswig-Holstein, Stormarn, Dithmarschen, and Oldenburg, and others, and others, and others, alongside her husband, James Potter, the King-Emperor consort and Duke of Hogsmeade."**

Seconds later, the voice was heard again.

**"We do not know them."**

The Master of Ceremonies knocked three times at the doors again with the sceptre, and the voice spoke once more.

**"Who is there?"**

The man read once again from the scroll.

**"Lillian von Habsburg and James Potter, the Dukes of Hogsmeade."**

And once again, the voice responded:

**"We do not know them."**

For a third time, the Master of Ceremonies knocked thrice at the doors, and he was met with the same question.

**"Who is there?"**

To which the Master of Ceremonies finally replied:

**"Lillian and James, two poor and sinful mortals."**

After a few seconds of silence, the voice answered.

**"Then they can enter."**

The Master of Ceremonies stepped away from the door, and as it opened, the men who were carrying Lily and James's coffins proceeded to enter the church, which would the final resting place of the two former monarchs.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Since in this story Lily is an Habsburg cognate, I decided to use the Habsburg burial ceremony of knocking at the door. I find it to be a rather interesting ritual.


	11. The Veil of Stone

* * *

"Normal Speech"

_"Thoughts"_

**"Foreign Language"**

* * *

_**Chapter 11 – The Veil of Stone  
** _

**Hogsmeade Private Office, Ministry of Magic, London (U.K.)**

Harry had returned to the ministry shortly after the burial of his parents in the Anemas Crypt. He was now sitting on his private office, reading a book of Galician-Portuguese lyrics, and snickering at the various _"Cantigas d'escarnho e de mal dizer"_ , which translated to English, would be " _Songs of scorn and cursing_ ", whose content was mostly satire and insults regarding the characters in several ways. Despite being old works, he could not help but find these somewhat funny. But as he read, he heard someone knocking at the door, distracting him from the book.

"You may enter."

The door opened, and Harry looked at the person who had entered.

"Hello Sirius." he said.

The older man smiled.

"So Harry, how's life going"

"Oh well, you know…became a King and an Emperor, invaded Britain, have a psychopathic wizard who wants me dead, the usual stuff." he replied "How about you?"

"Meh. I just became officially an innocent man and a member of the government. Not very exciting to be honest."

Harry grinned and went to hug his godfather, who replied the gesture.

"Did you knew?"

"About what?" asked Sirius.

"About what my mother was."

"Of course I did." he answered "Your parents revealed that to both Remus and I."

"Then why didn't you tell me before? And what about Pettigrew?"

"The two of us thought that you already knew. And ever since we left Hogwarts Peter was always away, so they never had a chance of telling him that." said Sirius "They only saw him again when the Fidelius Charm was cast in Godric's Hollow."

"I wonder why they even did that?"

"Did what?"

"Why my parents returned to the Isles and hid in Godric's Hollow." said the young monarch "After all, they should have been far more safe under the protection of the Regency Council, considering that at the time I had been already declared the future heir to the Roman Throne."

"Your parents only returned because Dumbledore had wanted to meet with them in Hogwarts." It was after their meeting that they went to the cottage in Godric's Hollow."

The conversation was interrupted, as someone else knocked at the door.

"Yes?"

A man entered the room, and spoke to Harry.

" **Your Majesty, there is something you should see in the Department of Mysteries."**

" **What exactly?"** he replied in Greek.

" **We think it is better for you to see for yourself."**

Harry sighed and nodded to the man.

"We will speak later Sirius."

Sirius nodded to Harry, and watched as his godson left the room with the foreign wizard.

* * *

**The Chamber**

Harry had been guided by the man, and the two entered a large chamber. In the middle, was a large arch with a veil like-curtain on it. Harry had seen one of these before in the Imperial Vault, so he could not understand what they wished for him to see.

" **Your Majesty!"** called out a man he had recognized as Anton, who was standing near the Veil.

" **Anton? What are you doing here?"**

" **I had been asked if I could help in the analysis of this…thing, so I decided to assist the researchers."**

" **Okay…so what exactly do you want to show me?"**

"The arch, unlike the others built by the Atlantean, is made of an unknown material." said the Bulgarian "We have not managed to identify it. But there is one thing we have concluded."

" **What?"**

" **Whoever built this, was not Atlantean. The design does not match any known architecture in the world, be it magical or muggle."**

Harry looked at the arch closely. Unlike the one in the vault, this one seemed to be damaged, and it looked like it had been ripped out of a wall. He walked towards it, and with his hand, he touched the black stone. The moment he did so, ripples of energy shout out from where he had touched the stone, and in reflex he removed his hand from the arch. The waves continued to propagate themselves across the black stone, and slowly, the damaged parts began to be repaired. Everyone looked at the arch, and it became fully repaired, where once was a veil-like curtain, was now what resembled a brightly glowing waterfall. In less than five seconds, the glowing waterfall became so bright, that no one's eyes could stand the light, leading to all those present to shield their eyes from the arch.

And as the light vanished, and they looked at where it came from, they found themselves looking at the same archway as before, but this time, instead of a veil, it had what seemed to be a double-door.

" **What in God's name just happened?"** asked someone.

Harry approached the closed doors, and looked at them. They were apparently made of the same material as the arch, except it was of a lighter tone. There was no handle or anything that could be used to open them, not even a keyhole. Harry went around the arch, only to find the same doors. On either side, the doors had three engravings, and each was placed in a way that resembled a pyramid. He realized that as he looked at the inscriptions, he could roughly translate them.

" **It says here or at least I think it says, that 'When the curtain rises, shall the sphere be opened'."**

" **What is that supposed to mean?"** muttered Anton.

Harry shrugged, and moved to the second inscription.

" **This one says, 'When the sphere is opened' the sleeping one shall awake.'"**

" **The sleeping one must be referring to Aernus, the one we call the Sleeping God or just God."** said Anton.

" **Can you explain that?"** requested Harry **"I don't know much about the background of the deities."**

" **The old scriptures and legends say that Aernus was the fourth being to exist in reality. He was born from the union of the three deities which already exited, them being Tau, Chronos and Mors."**

" **Corruption, Time and Death."** Harry said to confirm.

Anton nodded. " **His birth gave origin to the concept of unity, making Aernus the primordial incarnation of unity itself. Tau and Aernus, then gave birth to Nox and Athor, the incarnations of Darkness and Light respectively. They were followed by the union of Tau and Chronos, who then gave birth to Mitra, the personification of Chaos, Varuna, the personification of Order, and Isis, the personification of Life. And finally, Tau and Mors gave birth to Reshep, the primordial of War, and Dievas, the primordial of Peace."**

" **What about the last one…Perses or whatever he is called?"**

" **Ironically, Perses was born just from Corruption itself, and is the primordial incarnation of Purity. We know it also as the Twelfth One."**

Harry nodded.

" **In any case, after the twelve main were born, other deities were created as well. Tradition says that it was somewhere around that time that Aernus fell into a deep sleep, and the universe we now live in, in one of the many dreams Aernus had since then."**

" **Then what does that make me?"** asked Harry.

" **We live in a dream Your Majesty. And right now, in this dream, Aernus dreams that He is you."**

Harry finally understood the reason why people called him Unity Incarnate and why he was literally worshiped as a living deity. Apparently, it was because he was the physical and mortal incarnation of the sleeping mind of a primordial deity.

" **The last one says, that 'When the Sleeping One awakes, shall the Incarnate rise and the world be remade.'"**

As much sense these words made, at the same time they also made no sense to Harry. He repeated the three verses on his head countless times, trying to understand why there was something there that bothered him. It was a sensation which he did not like, to have the meaning of those words in front of him, but to be unable to grasp it.

" **If one looks at it in a certain perspective, then the awakening of Aernus could very well annihilate our universe."** stated Anton.

" **But this doesn't mention any kind of…apocalyptic event though. It simply says that when Aernus awakens, he rises and the world is somehow created again."**

" **I think that the Incarnate refers to you, not to Aernus though."** said Anton **"And remade does not exactly mean that the universe will be created again. It can also mean that something will change."**

Harry observed the mysterious door once more, and narrowed his eyes.

" **How exactly does one open this thing?"** he asked to no one in particular, while one of his hands touched the doors. He then looked towards the guards who were in the room.

" **Keep this room under tight security. Make sure no one without the proper authorization enters."**

" **Yes Your Majesty."** they said.

Harry vowed there that one way or another, he would decipher that door. And he knew exactly the perfect place to start.

* * *

**Great Palace, Imperial District, Constantinople, Thrace**

The library of the Great Palace was unrivalled by any other, even the Library of Alexandria. Within it was knowledge collected from all the known human eras, stored not only for safe keeping, but for exclusive access to the Imperial family. But there were not only books in the library. Inside were also priceless documents, scrolls, and even the rare to find and ancient Atlantean Inscribed Cube, a device used to store knowledge in unthinkable ways by the high classes of Atlantean society that appeared during the late years of the seventeenth dynasty, at least according to post-Atlantean historians.

By the Helladic period however, most post-Atlantean civilizations had degenerated into extremely primitive societies compared to their Atlantean predecessors, and one consequence was the loss of most knowledge regarding the Old Language, whose remains went to evolve onto the Indo-European languages. Such events lead to people ceasing to use Atlantean technology, as they had no idea of how it worked. With luck, the devices survived, and now they had a very useful usage.

Harry went towards a cabinet with some cubes inside, and he took out one. It fitted perfectly on his palm, being rather small in size. Harry himself had no idea of how to use these things, but he could help but feel as if he should. After all, past incarnations of himself had used and crafted these things, so at least his sub-consciousness should be able to give him a small hint.

He tried to see if it reacted to his touch, but there was no reaction from the cube. He then placed it on a table and stared at the device, as if attempting to decipher it with his eyes. Harry frowned when nothing came to his mind.

" **In the name of all that is sacred, how can I activate you?"** he asked the cube, not expecting to receive an answer.

By the contrary, the cube actually reacted to the question, to Harry's surprise. The engraving began to emanate a blue glow, similar to the one in the walls of St. Petersburg. Harry's hand moved towards the cube, and as it touched it a bright light was expelled from it, enveloping the young wizard, and drawing him into pure darkness.

* * *

**The Temporal Mainframe**

Harry looked around. He was floating in a very dark place, capable of seeing himself, but without any visible light source.

" **Where am I?"** he asked to himself.

His question however, did not go unanswered.

" **You are in the Temporal Mainframe."** replied a rather strange voice, in a language which he did not recognize.

" **The Temporal Mainframe?"** he questioned confused **"What exactly is that?"**

" **The Temporal Mainframe is the trans-dimensional database of the great and eternal Atlantean Empire, as created by the Great and Divine King Anipheon XVI. Within it, is stored all the past, present and possible future knowledge of the world, as predicted by the Lords of Fate. All the current civilizations of the mortal plane had been predicted by the time of the great cataclysm, but the knowledge was neglected, as the Empire entered a period of great decline."**

" **A period of great decline…?"**

" **What many today classify as the Fall of the Atlantean Empire."** replied the Mainframe **"However, for all intents and purposes the Atlantean Empire cannot fall, as your very existence contradicts such statement."**

" **Me? But I don't rule the Atlantean Empire!"**

" **By the right of 'transfer of rule' you do. The Universal Monarchy was transformed into what you today call the Roman Empire, but despite the cultural differences, you held in your hands the privilege and power of the Atlantean sovereign."**

Now Harry was confused. How exactly could this…Mainframe know knowledge from the present, especially about the Roman Empire."

" **How exactly do you know this stuff?"**

" **As I said before, the Mainframe holds all the past, present and possible future knowledge."** it repeated **"Its trans-dimensional nature allows the Mainframe to transcend beyond the capacity of your current storage devices. All events since the first era, ranging from the birth of Tau, to the Great War in Heaven, or more recently, the anointment of King Solomon by Zadok the Priest, the regicide of your parents and all other events, no mattering how important or unimportant they were are stored in the Mainframe."**

Harry could not help but feel as if the voice was attempting to escape the question, but he decided not to press on the issue. He would use the opportunity to question the Mainframe about the archway.

**"Do you know anything about an archway that is below the Ministry of Magic in London?"**

" **What you refer to as an archway is in fact a mural that has stood there even before the rise of the Atlantean Empire."** responded the voice **"It was discovered during the construction of a city in the area. The inscriptions were written in a language that was only readable to the divine ruler of the Empire, while others saw only symbols."**

" **Do you know the meaning of what is written on the arch?"**

" **The ruler…rulers…ruler at the time came to me with the same question, but I was unable to provide him…them…him with an answer."** replied the voice in a way that Harry could not help but find slightly creepy and unsettling, especially with the strange repetition of words **"All I can inform you is that the passages in the mural were what led to the Great Cataclysm."**

" **How so?"** asked Harry quite curious.

" **The sovereign…sovereigns…sovereign who ruled at the time believed that since he…they…he was the mortal incarnation of God, then by awakening God in the dream, the Incarnate would be able to become a lucid dreamer…dreamers…dreamer, therefore attaining unlimited and ultimate power over the entire universe."**

For the simple dreamer to become a lucid dreamer… If that was possible, then what Anton had said would be prevented. Aernus would be awakened, and at the same time he would still be asleep, allowing the universe to continue to exist. But if that was the case…

" **Then what happened?"** asked Harry.

" **In order to succeed, the King…Kings…King ordered the construction of a special structure across many cities, that would gather energy, and the construction of a large focus point where that energy would be gathered and released into a single recipient."** explained the voice **"But as the energy was gathered, it unfortunately was not enough to achieve a perfect result, and accidentally, one of the structures had not been activated. Therefore, when the energy was released, instead of turning the ruler…rulers…ruler of Atlantis into a lucid dreamer…dreamers…dreamer, it instead was released in a way that, in words that you can understand, broke reality."**

" **Broke reality?"** asked Harry in disbelief.

" **Yes. The effects were not only felt on the universe, but also on what is called the Great Void. All true concepts converge onto the mortal plane, giving it shape, and when the cataclysm happened, the concepts became…disconnected from the universe. Reality had been shattered by the desires of man."**

" **What happened then? I assume that something must have solved that."**

" **In an act of self-preservation, despite not being a conscious entity, reality attempted to repair itself. It succeeded, but from that moment, many things changed on Earth. Where once was a single Empire, a single culture, religion and language, was now a cluster of divided tribes across the newly created continents of the world. The Fall of Atlantis as you call it was history's attempt as solving the Great Cataclysm, but at the cost of the greatest civilization that the universe had seen until the rise of the Roman Empire."**

Harry listened with close attention to the voice. If what is said was true, then the fall of Atlantis was not caused by outside threats, not social tension or rebellions. It was due to the simple mistake of whoever ruled the empire at the time.

" **The effects however, are still felt today."**

" **Really?"**

" **Indeed."** said the voice **"The period of time in which reality stood broken was during what many mortals today call the Allhallowtide, and is divided into three days, them being All Hallows' Eve, All Saints' Day and All Souls' Day. During those three days, several concepts become somewhat unstable, leading to the reason why these three days are important celebrations in certain modern religions."**

Then that also probably meant that the Fall of Atlantis was also the reason why he had extremely bad luck on Halloween. But then it dawned on Harry. The ritual had failed because of a simple accident. And something like that could simply be corrected if done again.

" **Tell me, whatever you are, if I wanted, could I preform the ritual?"**

" **Yes."** the voice replied.

Harry smiled in a rather calm way, but if one looked at his eyes, they would see a glint that normally would not belong there.

" **Then tell me how."**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And so begins the "Aernus arc" of this fanfic. Will Harry be able to preform the ritual?
> 
> Will it go horribly wrong? Or horribly right?


	12. The Edict of Constantinople

* * *

"Normal Speech"

_"Thoughts"_

**"Foreign Language"**

* * *

_**Chapter 12 – The Edict of Constantinople** _

**Roman Empire**

Every morning, people across the world would buy newspapers to be updated on the news, and in the Wizarding World it was no different. However, what many people in the Roman Empire did not expect was for the front page of nearly every single newspaper to be occupied by a single sentence: _MAJOR RELIGIOUS LAW ENACTED BY THE EMPEROR_.

* * *

_EMPEROR HADRIAN II, IN AERNUS THE ETERNAL SOVEREIGN, EMPEROR OF THE ROMANS. EDICT TO THE PEOPLE OF THE EMPIRE._

_It is my desire that all the various nations and their people, which fall under the jurisdiction of my Clemency and Moderation, continue to profess the religion which was given unto us by the sacred and God sent prophet Aeneas, as it has been preserved by tradition and which is now professed by the Holy Pentarchs in Constantinople, Rome, Antioch, Jerusalem and Alexandria. According to the sacred teachings, we shall believe in the Sacred Twelve and their brethren, but our veneration shall be given in higher degree to the deity who in ancient times stood in three as the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, only to be reunited once more into the One. We shall also believe in the doctrine of the Incarnate, as taught by the Canon of the Church. I authorize the followers of this law to assume the title of Orthodox Aeneans, while the others who wish to live in denial and ignorance, shall be branded as heretics and will find themselves banned from naming their conventions as churches or any other related designation._

_GIVEN IN CONSTANTINOPLE ON THE SEVENTH DAY FROM THE CALENDS OF JULY, DURING THE FIRST CONSULATE OF HADRIAN AUGUSTUS._

* * *

Across the Empire, people were unsure of how to react to the new law. While the Emperor's coronation had been made in a rather Aenean-Christian style and had also revealed the Emperor's own beliefs, the magical Empire never had itself a state religion. At least until now. And while the majority did not know whether to celebrate or to be indifferent to the edict, there was a rather small minority which was absolutely furious. But they were too cowardly to attempt anything. And if they did, then they would have the Empire after their heads, and it was not something they wanted.

Still though, Hadrian's new edict was rather clear. From now on, you were either an Aenean Orthodox or a heretic.

But those who were most surprised were the British wizards, especially those who followed either Voldemort or Dumbledore. While despite being clear opponents, the Death Eaters could not help but feel satisfied at the law, yet those who saw Dumbledore as the second coming of Merlin, saw his actions as a betrayal to the "cause of the Light". In Harry's opinion, if they had been surprised, then he was eager to see their reaction at the "little" pile of laws which here resting in the Great Palace, waiting to be officially enacted.

Speaking of laws, there were a few matters which he had to attend in Britain, mostly regarding new laws and reforms of the governmental system which he had to postpone for the burial of his parents. For all intents and purposes, it would be the first official session of the House of Lords, and both Harry and the Queen had thought it to be rather late in the year for a State Opening of the Parliament, and that would only be done next year.

Nevertheless, shortly after the Edict was published, Harry quickly made his way to Potter Manor in Hogsmeade, which had served as the official residence of the Dukes of Hogsmeade since its construction in 1135, not counting the times it was rebuilt. Nowadays, despite being somewhat out of place, it was a rather interesting piece of Elizabethan architecture, and as modest as Burghley House.

* * *

**Potter Manor, Hogsmeade, Scotland (U.K.)**

With Beatrice deciding to stay in the Great Palace, Harry was the stood alone on the grounds of the large estate. He himself had never visited the manor, as he had spent his time either in the Great Palace or in the Palace of Epirus, even after the capture of the ministry. He could see that after a decade, the grounds of the manor had been "invaded" by overgrown grass and other common minor flora of the area. He walked pass the bushes, towards the front door of the building. The house itself seemed to have a degree of magical sentience, as it seemingly recognized him and opened the door.

He entered the house, and his eyes immediately fell on the skeleton of a house-elf in the hall. Harry frowned, and walked towards the remains of the creature. Looking at them, the young wizard concluded that the elves of the manor had possibly died due to the lack of a wizard to bond with. He would have to hire a group of housekeepers to maintain the manor, and others to take care of the grounds. Elves were far more appropriate for locations such as Hogwarts, where they were not seen much of the time, not to mention that human workers assisted in the economy. Yet elves could also be useful for emergencies and messages that were required to be sent and received in the moment.

As Harry entered other rooms, he noticed that the tiny flames which gave light to the rooms were apparently activated when he entered a room. As he explored the house, Harry noticed that most entirely everything was covered in dust. There were some portraits on the walls and those that featured a witch or wizard had their owner sleeping. He looked at the small golden plaques which were under the portraits, showing the names of the person represented on them. One such paintings was of a Henry Potter, how had been the Duke of Hogsmeade at least fifteen generations ago.

He proceeded to enter what seemed to be the main living room, only to find it already illuminated by the windows. The room was well decorated, and like the hallways, it featured paintings as well. They were slumbering as well, yet there were some which stood empty. Harry left the room, and after passing through other rooms, amongst them a large ballroom, Harry entered what seemed to be a gallery of sorts. There were a few armchairs in the room, alongside coffee tables, but the main attraction were the walls which here entirely decorated with paintings of former members of the Potter family.

But out of all the portraits, there were two which stood out to him. Harry walked towards the two, and he read the golden plaque in the frame of one.

* * *

_Lillian von Habsburg and Anemas_

_1960 – 1981_

_Queen-Empress regnant of Russia and Portugal_

_The Duchess of Hogsmeade_

* * *

He then looked at the portrait, and saw his mother dressed in her Russian Coronation Regalia, sitting in a throne holding the Imperial sceptre on her right hand, while next to her on top of a pedestal were the Great Imperial Crown and the Imperial Orb. Harry was unsure whether this was a normal portrait or a magical portrait in stasis, as his mother's representation was "awake" and seemingly staring at the "fourth wall". He himself had also a Coronation portrait, but he had it stored for the moment in the Anemas vaults.

He then looked at the portrait which was at her side, a perfect representation of his father.

* * *

_James Potter_

_1960 – 1981_

_King-Emperor consort and co-regent of Russia and Portugal_

_The Duke of Hogsmeade_

* * *

Much like his mother, James was dressed in his own version of the Coronation Regalia, considering that he had been crowned as a co-regent to his wife. He was sitting on a throne was well, and Harry noticed that like his mother, next to James on a pedestal were different versions of the Imperial Crown, sceptre and orb. He was also staring at him, and Harry wondered whether those two portraits were in stasis or not.

He observed the other portraits, and noticed that much like in the living room, some were sleeping, while others were frozen, staring at him in a rather unsettling manner. Deciding that he didn't want to cause any commotion, Harry silently left the room, and closed the door behind him. Besides, he needed to prepare himself for the parliament.

* * *

**Parliament Chamber, Ministry of Magic, London (U.K.)**

This time, Harry decided to wear less ornate robes to the session. He still wore the chain of office nonetheless, and he noticed that most of his fellow peers had made the same decision as he did. As much as he liked the regalia, it was impractical in these situations. He entered the chamber alongside the others, and sat on his seat. He waited for the rest to arrive, and when finally everyone was seated, he addressed the members of the house.

"My Lords, as the current acting Lord President of the Chamber, I declare this session started." he stated "Pray be seated."

He and every single one of those present then sat on their respective seats, Harry then rose, and addressed the members of the house once again.

"My Lords, considering the fact that currently I hold the position of Lord President, we need to assign someone to that position."

"Hear, hear!" was shouted by many of those present.

"Considering the certain degree of neutrality required for the position, I propose the appointment of The Right Honourable Rufus Scrimgeour to the position."

"I second the proposal." said Muriel Prewett rising from her seat, only sit down immediately afterwards.

They were followed by Elphias Doge of the opposition, who rose as well.

"I propose the appointment of The Right Honourable Augusta Longbottom to the position."

"I second the proposal." stated Kingsley.

No one spoke for a few seconds after that, waiting for any other candidate proposals. Harry then got up from his seat and spoke again.

"Very well then. As there are no more candidates, I question the two candidates, on whether they accept their nomination."

"I do accept my nomination." said both Augusta and Rufus.

"Following this acceptance, the House shall proceed with the Vote by Wand." he stated "We shall commence with The Right Honourable Rufus Scrimgeour."

The entire Conservative faction raised their wands on approval, and the majority of the Conservative Neutrals did so as well. There were three on the neutral opposition which approved the election of Scrimgeour.

In the end, Rufus won the election by a single vote.

"The vote is taken. From the next session until the end of his term in exactly five years from today, Rufus Scrimgeour shall assume the position of Lord President, after taking the Oath of Office."

The other man gave a polite nod to Harry, and the two wizards sat down. Harry's place in the spotlight was then taken by another member of the conservative faction who rose from his seat.

"My Lords, from what I have gathered, at the moment the British Ministry stands as one of the less respected ministries of Europe." said Parkinson "There are many reasons for such our lack of…prestige, and from what I have been told and saw written by foreigners, one of such reasons is the existence of certain offices in the departments such as the Centaur Liaison Office, whose single purpose at the moment, is to provide us with a metaphor for unemployment."

His statements were met with shouting of "Hear, hear!" from the conservatives, and a member of the liberal faction rose.

"What exactly are you suggesting, My Lord?" asked Robert Abbot.

"It's rather simple actually." stated the man "I am proposing that we abolish the offices which have no real purpose in the ministry."

Harry rose from his seat.

"I second the motion, and initiate the procedure of Vote by Wand."

This one was agreed by nearly every single member of the House of Lords, meeting almost no opposition. Harry did enjoy when things ran this smoothly. But he then remembered something else.

"My Lords, I would propose an educational reform in the entirety of the jurisdiction of this government."

Next to him, Theodore Nott rose.

"I would inquire His Grace on which aspects does the educational system require a reform."

Harry nodded and addressed the house.

"My Lords, during the last century, the former British Ministry of Magic made several changes in the education that the wizards of the United Kingdom receive. Such changes did not only affect Hogwarts, but also the remaining minor schools, in Scotland, England and Wales. Several subjects were dropped out, such as foreign languages, various types of magical arts and their applications, and many others, only to be replaced by subjects such as Defence Against the Dark Arts or Divination, the first being a subject in which the assigned professor cannot last more than a year, while the second is as useful as a broken chair." stated the young Prime Minister "And then we have subjects such as Muggle Studies, where the students are taught minor and unimportant facts about British muggle culture…of the early 20th century. I may have certain reactionary beliefs, but even this is too much. From such reasons, comes my proposal that we amend the educational system of the United Kingdom, unless the lords of this house prefer for our educational standards to remain low compared to the other countries…?"

Some of those in the liberal faction shifted nervously in their seats, as Harry's gaze fell on them. They wondered why the young wizard was causing this reaction on them, but even they could not deny that the quality of the education in the British Isles had become very low since the end of the 19th century. And with all things considered, Harry's proposal had won with the majority of the votes. However, it was then that a member of the liberal faction rose from his seat, and asked something that harry was not expecting at the moment.

"My Lords, I would question His Grace The Duke of Hogsmeade on his claims regarding the supposed return of Who-Know-Who." said Philip Davies.

Harry's face showed confusion and surprise.

"My claims, My Lord?" asked Harry "I can assure you that I never claimed, at least officially, that the wizard known as Lord Voldemort…"

Most wizards flinched at the name, something that Harry ignored.

"…has returned. The words of Albus Dumbledore are not a reflection of my own, and even if the so called Voldemort has returned, which I am not claiming he did, then he, who stands as a major threat to my person and as the murderer of the former heads of state of Russia and Portugal, is under the direct jurisdiction of the law enforcement of the Roman Empire and the other two. The Death Eaters however, who have been classified as a rebel and terrorist organization, are to be dealt with by this ministry and with the offered assistance of the imperial military forces."

Harry noticed that there were some eyebrows raised at him, and he looked as Davies nodded in acceptance at his statement. The rest of the session was spent on debating some minor laws and attempts at passing some motions, some of which held no importance to Harry. If he saw one that could possibly pose a threat to his plans, the he would actively speak against it, and present any possible and available rational arguments on why the motion should not be passed, and it would miraculously work.

To him, the work of government, despite being tedious at most times, held a very high degree of interest and in rare times, fun.

* * *

**Grimmauld Place, London, England (U.K.)**

"Do you really need to have a…bodyguard with you all the time?" asked Sirius.

"He is not a 'bodyguard' Sirius. He is a member of the Imperial Guard. It's different." said the young wizard, as they left the park, heading towards the group of houses.

"His Majesty is to be protected by any means necessary." said the Imperial Guard with a strong Greek accent on his somewhat rough English.

"It's good to have someone watching your back," said Moody while looking suspiciously at the guard "until they decide to stab it with a knife."

The guard narrowed his eyes at the former auror.

"We have sworn Loyalty Vows to the Imperial Family." replied the slightly irritated man "If we attempt to break the vow, we die."

Moody simply raised his eyebrow, and said nothing more.

"So Sirius, where which one is the house of your family?" said Harry while looking at the residences in front of them.

"None of those you can see." replied his godfather while giving him a piece of paper "Memorize what is written in there."

Harry looked at it, and it was his turn to look surprised.

"Fidelius Charm?"

Sirius nodded, and Harry handed the paper to the guard which accompanied him. The man looked at it, and returned the paper to the young wizard, who in turn proceeded to give it back to Sirius. Harry looked back at the houses, and noticed that out of nowhere, a new one had appeared.

"Well Harry, welcome to the house of the Noble and Most Ancient House of Black."

"It's rather…common."

"The old estate burned to the ground in the late 19th century, so the family moved to this area of London." said Sirius as the four walked inside the house.

* * *

**12 Grimmauld Place, London, England (U.K.)**

As soon as he entered the house, Harry's first sight was a very badly illuminated hallway where dust and old furniture seemed to reign supreme. On the far end of the hallway was a closed door, and beyond those things, Harry was unable to see much else.

"I take back what I said." said Harry "No offence Sirius, but this house is not common. The best word to describe this is filthy."

Sirius simply shrugged Harry's statement. "This place had not been inhabited for a decade, and before that there was almost no difference."

"You really should think about rebuilding the old estate." suggested Harry to his godfather "That and you should also get married."

Sirius's head snapped towards Harry.

"What?!"

"If you die without an heir, then due to me being your godson, and due to my paternal grandmother being a Black by birth, then the title of Earl of Settford would be passed onto me upon your death." said Harry "I already have the whole issue with the Duchy of Hogsmeade and besides, it would be a shame if the male Black line became extinct. I may want to spread my dynasty, but doing so with minor noble houses is not what I have in mind."

Sirius knew that Harry was right. If he died without issue then his title would pass down onto Harry, who by generational tiers was pretty much his cousin. Even so, he looked at the young wizard in front of him. This was not the insecure and inexperienced wizard from the Tri-Wizard Tournament, but someone who was seemingly already planning the future takeover of the European Royal Houses by the Greek Habsburgs. And for some reason, the very thought of it was scary.

Sirius guided Harry towards the kitchen, and when the older man opened the door, harry saw that there were at least twenty people inside, amongst them the Weasley family, Remus, Hermione, some people he knew and others which he did not recognize. It was already lunch time, so they were all sitting around the long table, either speaking or eating. It was only a few moments after he entered that they noticed his presence.

"Harry! When did you get here?" asked Ron, stuffing his mouth with food.

"Seconds ago." he answered in a rather bland tone, attempting not to show his disgust at Ron's table manners, looking instead at Hermione.

"Hello Hermione." he greeted his old friend.

"Hi Harry." she replied "You look…different."

"Well, after all that has happened, it would be strange if I looked the same as before." he said.

Needless to say, Harry was then "assaulted" by Molly Weasley, who ignored Harry's current normal appearance, and proceeded to tell him how skinny he looked and attempted to pressure him into joining them for lunch. Harry had to politely decline the offer, looking suspiciously at Mrs Weasley who seemed to be more anxious than usual. The woman finally gave up, and after giving a small remark about his apparent "skinny" appearance, she returned to her abandoned food.

Harry was greeted far more formally by those he did not knew personally, each referring to him as "Your Majesty". It was only then that someone finally noticed one major difference on him.

"Harry, where is your scar?" asked Arthur.

"Gone." he replied to the Weasley patriarch "It housed a remnant of…Voldemort's essence which was then removed by a healer."

"Voldemort's essence?" asked someone.

"To be more specific, an incomplete Horcrux."

Those that knew what an Horcrux was, had their eyes immediately widened by the revelation.

"You-Know-Who has Horcruxes?" asked another person.

"Perhaps, perhaps not. All I know is that he may have attempted to create one and failed, leading to my scar. But I wouldn't put it past him to create others."

"What's an Horcrux?" asked one of the twins.

"The most foul and abominable piece of necromantic magic you will find in known history, even more than the Killing Curse." replied Harry "And I won't say more than that, as details regarding an Horcrux and its nature can be very nauseous."

"Why is it nauseous?" asked Ginny.

"You don't want to know." replied one of those that knew.

"Well, in any case, it was nice to see you again, but I must return to Constantinople."

"You're not staying?" asked Ron.

Harry shook his head at the red-head.

"I have important business to discuss with the court." said the young emperor "There seems to be a somewhat heated debate amongst the Pentarchy which I need to solve before we have a schism on our hands."

Needless to say, the farewells were rather fast, and as soon as he could, Harry was back in Constantinople, dreading the meeting with a group of five people who, excluding himself, held a very considerable amount of influence in the people of the empire.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And so now Harry has made Aenean Orthodoxy the official religion of the Roman Empire. Now…where have I seen this before…?
> 
> Also, Harry's official style as the Roman Emperor was based of the style of Emperor Constantine VII as seen in "De Administrando Imperio", a work made by the emperor himself to his son, the future Emperor Romanos II. In the book, he was styled as "Constantine, in Christ the Eternal Sovereign, Emperor of the Romans".


	13. The Tower

* * *

"Normal Speech"

_"Thoughts"_

**"Foreign Language"**

_***Other Voice*** _

* * *

_**Chapter 13 – The Tower** _

**Magnaura, Imperial District, Constantinople, Thrace**

Inside the building where the Senate of the Empire usually had the majority of its meetings, were the six most powerful people in all of the Roman Empire. Harry was sitting on a small throne on the dais, while in front of him sitting each on somewhat comfy seats were the five members of the Pentarchy. On the far right seat was Sixtus V, the Pope and Patriarch of Rome, who was followed by Theodosius IX, the Patriarch of Antioch. In the far left seat was Cyril VI, the Patriarch of Jerusalem, who was followed by Nicholas IV, the Pope and Patriarch of Alexandria. And on the middle seat was Stephanos III, the Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople, who was also recognized as the "first among equals" in the Pentarchy, and by consequence, as the spiritual leader of the Aenean Orthodox Church.

For at least two hours, the Pentarchs and the Emperor had debated over the issue which had ultimately led to their present meeting. Despite being made a state religion, having an established hierarchy and teachings, the church lacked a legal and imperial sanctioned council. Eventually, Harry decided to hold an official council in Thessaloniki, where all the divergences and contradictions in the current canon of the church would be resolved. At least for the next three centuries or so.

Then there would be another council, and so on…

* * *

**12 Grimmauld Place, London, England (U.K.)**

Dumbledore was not amused. He was most certainly not amused.

First, Britain was invaded by those damned Roman forces, then he lost control of Hogwarts to the invading forces, and the Ministry of Magic had been replaced by a government imposed by the Emperor. Said Emperor who had been exactly on the same building he was now not long ago, and for some reason, the Order had not even attempted to hold him there. But that was not the worst part. With Harry at the command of Great Britain, Black had been released of all charges, and walked away as a free man. Now the former Gryffindor was now part of the new governing body, and out of his control.

This was going very badly for the cause of the Light. The majority of his supporters had abandoned him when the whole anti-Dumbledore propaganda had begun, and when it had been revealed to the general public that he had basically kidnapped the heir to the most powerful state in the entire planet…well…he was sure that there was an expression just for that, but he could not remember what it was.

Nevertheless, with Dumbledore's power base ruined, and the old man's mind slowly slipping into the grasp of insanity, it would only be a matter of time until all major obstacles to the Emperor's ultimate plan were permanently eliminated.

* * *

**Isles of the End of the World, Arctic Ocean**

Amongst the still living archaeologists and explorers of the Imperial Ministry of History and Culture, none was more positively renowned than the Aquitanian known as Alain Bonheur, famous for his discoveries of ancient ruins and temples in the most unexpected places around the world. He had been assigned by the IMHC to the discovery of any possible Atlantean ruin yet untouched below the ground. The amount of research he had done when he was assigned eventually led him to this remote area of the planet, which much like the Bermuda Triangle, was affected by severe magic storms from time to time, except for the fact that they were far more tame in the Arctic.

Magic storms somehow caused disruption in the fabric of reality, making it possible for things to exist and not exist simultaneously, hiding large bodies of land from those who had not any magical ability, amongst other things. In any case magicals had not to worry about these storms, as they were immune to their nefarious effects.

For many months, the archaeologist's team had excavated deep into the island's cavern system, not finding any hint of a former Atlantean presence. That is…until someone dug too deep and accidentally made part of the cavern floor collapse, creating a hole the size of a muggle bus. Unfortunately for the man who had been digging in that particular area, he fell onto to colossal cavern deep below them, illuminated by lake made of a glowing fluid. The man fell into the pool of liquid, and never surfaced.

Yet on the middle of the lake, was a tower like structure, surrounded by three other smaller towers, connected to each other's by stone bridges.

Bonheur and the team were silenced by the accidental discovery, ignoring the very possible death which had just happened. Not by the fact that it had been an accident, but by the very thing they had discovered instead. He had read of it in deciphered works made in the Atlantean Empire, and he could not believe his luck. If his other discoveries were not enough for it, then this one would definitely place him in the annals of history. And now, the old man could not help but smile in absolute joy and wonder.

"Enfin, nous avons trouvé!" he whispered in a loud tone "La Tour de l'aube!"

He turned around and spoke in a firm voice to those who were with him.

"Assurez-vous que l'empereur est informé de cette découverte."

He received nods in confirmation, and turned around to see the magnificent structure below once more, fascinated beyond measure.

* * *

**Great Palace, Imperial District, Constantinople, Thrace**

Harry studied in the Imperial Library, reading books about magic, while maintaining constant contact with the Temporal Mainframe. He was interrupted when an owl delivered him a letter with the seal of the Ministry of History and Culture. He opened the letter, and began to read it. When he finished, his face showed only confusion. He then decided to question the Mainframe regarding the issue.

" **Mainframe Intelligence?"**

" **What do you wish to know, Your Majesty?"** asked the Intelligence.

" **Have you ever heard of a complex named the Tower of Dawn?"** questioned the young monarch.

" **I do."** it responded **"The Tower of Dawn was the focus point built to store and channel the energy gathered by the other constructs during the Ritual."**

Harry's eyes widened. So the Tower of Dawn was basically the most important piece on his puzzle, had been already found before he had even sent for people to find it. He eventually came out of the shock, and grinned in satisfaction. One phase of his plan was already complete, and now he could move onto the others.

" **Tell me Intelligence, since I already have the Tower of Dawn, what would be the best action to take right now?"**

" **At the moment, I would suggest you to commence the search and restoration of the energy gathering devices."**

" **How exactly do those things look like?"**

" **The energy gathering devices are designed as wells, many located in several of major cities of the Atlantean Empire."** It responded **"One of them is located on the city known today as St. Petersburg, while another can be found on the city of Akhetaten. These two are known to be currently fully operational."**

" _Hold on…wells?"_ thought Harry _"Could it be…those things?"_

" **Do those wells have blue beams coming out of little openings on the walls?"**

" **Yes."** replied the Intelligence **"The beams are used to calibrate and refine the energies collected. Once it is done, the energy is transported to the Tower of Dawn, where it is stored in the other three minor towers that surround it."**

So once enough energy was stored, he would be able to perform the ritual without any possible error. But there was always the risk of repeating the same mistakes. If every single Well needed to be activated during the procedure, the he would need to have a very loyal and obedient group of people making sure that everything went according to plan. He would have to order the Court to search for people who met his requirements, and when he had all the puzzle pieces on his hands, then he would make sure that the outcome of the puzzle was the one he intended.

"Your Majesty…" said the Intelligence, interrupting his line of thought.

"What?"

" **An unknown entity seems to be approaching your current location."** it said in respective urgency **"Its origin and intent are unknown to myself."**

" **Unknown entity!?"** repeated Harry in panic **"What kind of entity!?"**

" **Unknown. The entity's consciousness is currently overwriting our connection."** said the Intelligence **"Predicted time of connection left is…"**

Suddenly, Harry ceased to hear the voice of the Mainframe Intelligence. Yet there was nothing else on the room, just absolute silence. Harry got up from the chair, and ran to the outside, passing though corridors until he reached his destination. He was now in one of the courtyards, overlooking the sea of the Golden Horn. The city was enveloped in the darkness of the night, the only light available being the one coming from the lighthouse, the interior of the buildings or the street lamps. Harry still could not hear the Mainframe, having completely lost the connection to the Atlantean entity.

Out of nowhere, it was as if all colours became inverted for a few moments, before returning to their normal state. But when they did, he was observing a large, waterless and bottomless sea. It was as if he was inside a sepia picture, much like what had happened with Tom Riddle's diary. And the silence had been replaced with alien and eerie sounds, making Harry believe that he was no longer in Constantinople.

Yet as he looked at the bottomless pit, he could not help but feel that there was something in there.

_***Not something Incarnate.***_ said a voice which was deep and seemed to be composed of many _***Someone.***_

Harry frantically looked around, trying to find the source of the voice.

" **W-Where are you!?"** he questioned the voice **"Who are you!?"**

_***Me? I am everywhere. No corner of creation has not been touched by me.***_ claimed the voice _***And who am I? I am surprised you don't recognize me Aernus. After all, we are, as those mortal creatures say, of the same flesh and blood.***_

Something in Harry's memory awoke, granting him clarity over whom he was speaking to.

" **Father Tau…"**

_***Yes…***_ said the voice _ ***You are my first offspring Aernus, born from the union of three. The first being to be born out of a union. Unifier of corruption, time and death.***_

" **What do you want?"** asked Harry **"It's not usual for you to interfere in the affairs of the mortal world."**

_***Your actions are attracting the attention of the others, making them nervous**_ **.*** said Tau _***They fear that you will do the same mistakes as before, except with far greater damage. After all this time, the walls of reality are still healing from the damage of the first ritual. If you fail, then you can bring about our total destruction***_

" **So what? You came here to try to stop me?"**

_***Stop you?***_ said the Perennial _***Of course not. Our influence in the mortal plane goes only as far as we are allowed to. I brought you here so that I could give you a warning, my child.***_

" **A warning?"**

_***Yes. Be mindful that despite being in a mortal state, you do not possess what mortals call a soul. You are merely the physical manifestation of your sleeping mind, and so, like us, you are not bound by any aspect of Fate.***_ stated the primordial embodiment of corruption _ ***Your actions are impossible to be predicted by anyone or anything, and so the ultimate outcome of the ritual is at the moment unknown to all. As we speak, the future is being moulded, and shapes of things that may or may not come to pass conspire to make sure that they come to exist.***_

" **Shapes of things…?"**

_***The future, and all those that may come to inhabit it, are currently in an inchoate state, and the lives of mortals are always affected by ghosts of their possible futures, all leading into the exact same branch.***_ explained Tau _***Eventually, said ghosts merge with their past selves, therefore establishing their decided future.***_

" _Yet my future is not decided…"_

_***Tread carefully Incarnate***_ said the voice _***Otherwise there will be no past, present or future for us to speak about…***_

The colours became inverted once again, and when they returned to normal, Harry was once again in the normal version of the city of Constantine. Yet instead of being intimidated by the deity, Harry felt only determination rising on his mind. He would not fail. The ritual would be done, and then…well…who knows…

After all, the future was still undecided.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I honestly could not be happier than I am now, as you are now reading a fanfiction of one of the newest students at the Faculty of Letters of the University of Lisbon.
> 
> In any case, here are the translations for the French sentences above. If you find anything wrong, then please tell me so that I can correct, as I had to use the translator to convert them from English to French.
> 
> "Enfin, nous avons trouvé!" – At last, we have found it!
> 
> "La Tour de l'aube!" – The Tower of Dawn!
> 
> "Assurez-vous que l'empereur est informé de cette découverte." - Make sure that the Emperor is informed of this discovery.


	14. The Acolytes of the Old God

* * *

"Normal Speech"

_"Thoughts"_

**"Foreign Language"**

_***Other Voice*** _

* * *

_**Chapter 14 – The Acolytes of the Old God** _

For those who belong to the divine order, the mortal realm, despite being a place where they could entertain themselves by manipulating the lives of the mortal creatures, was rather restrictive, as they were unable to access the totality of their abilities. Over time, they managed to bypass such restrictions, by bringing the mortals to their personal realms, yet doing so with caution.

Like the mortal realm, the planes of these divine beings were located in the Great Void, known also as the Howling Halls, one of the three great spheres of reality. On the centre of the Great Void, which was the third sphere, was Aernus, his form being something that a common mortal would not be able to perceive. If a mortal was to look at it, they would only see a massive nebula-like mass of clouds. Orbiting Aernus's sleeping from were the Eventide Copse, the realm of Nox, and the Radiant Cliffs, the realm of Athor.

Near Aernus and these two realms were The Hidden Towers, the realm of Chronos, and The Gardens, realm of Isis. Above these realms was The Dissonance, realm of Mitra, which was followed by The Cathedral, which was the realm of Dievas. Under the realm of Dievas were the Barren Battlefields, which served as the realm of Reshep.

Bellow them all was the Netherworld, the realm of Mors. It was composed of many afterlives, and the majority of those afterlives was ruled by its own deity. Near the netherworld was the Silent Palace, realm of Varuna. Under the shadow of the Netherworld was Tartarus, which was ruled by the deity of the same name. Tartarus himself was not one of the Sacred Twelve, but a member of a group of fourteen perennials known as the Eternals.

Yet bellow all those realms was the most ancient of all, known either as the Abyss or the Tainted Abyss. It was the realm of Tau, and out of all it was the one which stood the closest to the second sphere. Many other realms existed in the Howling Halls, while others remained hidden away from mortals and other divine beings, their owners and creators preferring isolation.

The first sphere and the one most close to nothingness had been called the Aion since the first era. It was a word that no mortal could ever hope to comprehend, and yet it held a deep meaning to all the perennials. It was a place where no concept held influence and could be described as a "place" of absolute neutrality.

Yet between the Great Void and the Aion stood another great sphere, and it was one which many beings ignored or were simply oblivious to its existence.

And it remained there, unseen, unfelt…unheard.

* * *

**Derelict Metropolis, The Graveyard**

A humanoid figure dressed in red and black garments stood atop one of the many ruined skyscrapers of the Derelict Metropolis, silently gazing into the ruins of the city. The majority of the buildings were missing several chunks and were also filled with overgrown plants, as if parodying a post-apocalyptic and human-less future. Time itself was non-existent on the Graveyard, and everything seemed to be taken from a black and white photograph.

Near the shrouded being, three other figures materialized, and all looked in the same direction as the shrouded one did.

"How long has it been, my old comrades?" asked the shrouded being.

The first one to look at the shrouded one had the appearance of a female. Her skin was not of a normal colour, and instead it showed countless stars, shining brightly in the darkness that surrounded the figure. Her eyes glowed like dim stars, and her dress seemed to be made of smoke. The name of this deity was Nyx, the primordial of the night, and daughter of Nox and Ouranos, the primordial of the skies.

"Time is an abyss that not even our most precious memories can escape from." she said "Too long has passed since we last met."

The second figure to speak had the appearance of a young boy, and was dressed in a mixture of a toga and armour. His skin was of a light colour, and his eyes were of a light blue tone. His name was Coeus, the primordial which embodied intelligence, and was also the youngest of the sons of Aernus and Victoria, primordial of victory.

"This reunion was inevitable though." said Coeus "Our actions in the Great War have revealed themselves to be useless."

The last figure had the appearance of a middle-aged dark skinned monk. Unlike the previous two, this one was neither an Eternal nor a member of the Sacred Twelve. He was instead one of the Nameless Ones, and was appropriately known as The Monk. Much like the other Nameless Ones, the Monk's domain was known only to him, kept in secret from all the others.

"What is done is done." he stated "And as always, we remain untouched by the tides of fate, and with all the possible results, I fear that we no longer possess the element of surprise."

"True." responded the shrouded being "With the resurgence of…Ayavan, I fear that he will attempt to use the Incarnate's plan to suit his own desires."

He then turned around, allowing the other three to see his actual appearance.

"However, for now, none of us can interfere." he said "At the moment, the sole participants of this conflict are Aernus and Ayavan, each with their respective pawns."

Despite being in agreement, the other three could not help but remain worried with the situation.

"Are you sure my father can stand against him?" asked Coeus.

"Not in his current state." replied the shrouded one "But I believe that when both Aernus and the other one finally engage in their final confrontation, then your father will finally be capable of facing him in equal standing."

Coeus accepted the answer, and soon he vanished, much like the other two, leaving the shrouded being alone once again. He turned around again, and looked back at the devastated city that went on for miles. A city that had once existed and was now simply an echo of its past self, a remnant of a dead universe, which now rested eternally in the Graveyard.

* * *

**Great Palace, Imperial District, Constantinople, Thrace**

Harry sat on his throne, Beatrice sitting on a lower one next to him. He was waiting with his Inner Court for the arrival of someone who was apparently very important. He had been told that the visitor had come from a very remote part of the Earth, and was the leader of a very secretive cult. Neither he nor those present had any idea of how the cult leader looked like, and the only thing they knew was that this cult was very old.

When the doors of the throne room opened, the eyes of those in the throne room widened in disbelief. A group of people wearing robes in blue and black colours, and with their entire faces covered in strange masks were entering the throne room, yet they were all following another figure.

This…man was entirely covered in a single black cloak, his entire body except for his hands hidden away. However, that was not what surprise them. IT was the fact that this…being was floating while sitting on a meditation position. The moment when Harry looked directly at where the being's head was supposed to be, he felt slightly wary of the newcomer. When he was close enough, the floating being stopped, and spoke directly to Harry.

" **Your Majesty, I wish to thank you for receiving us."** it said in a voice which Harry could not help but find familiar **"I am commonly referred to as the Wise One, High Priest of the Order of the Acolytes of the Old God."**

" **Acolytes of the Old God?"** he questioned.

" **We are dedicated to the worship of Aernus and also to the research of details regarding His nature."** replied the Wise One **"I founded the Order even before the Helladic period came to be."**

" **What!?"** nearly shouted Harry, his exclamation reflecting the thought on the minds of those belonging to the court. They knew that the Order was old, but not that old. And the claim that it was the…thing in front of them that had founded it was…surreal at best **"How is that even possible? How can have you lived for that long?"**

" **I suffered an…accident that nearly obliterated my physical body, leaving me between a corporeal and non-corporeal existence. I am effectively immortal, but I lack a true and permanent corporeal form."** answered the Wise One **"Therefore, I manifest myself as this cloak and these hands, as it is the form I have chosen to take."**

Harry looked at the masked people behind the Wise One. None of them had spoken since entering the throne room.

" **And them?"**

" **Those are the acolytes."** responded the cloaked being **"The masks and the robes are supposed to hide away their individuality, uniting them into a single entity. It is…symbolic."**

Harry raised an eyebrow at the explanation. But he was still curious regarding the intentions of the Wise One.

" **I was told that you came here with the intent of assisting me in completing the Ritual of the Triumvirate."** said the Emperor **"How exactly can you be helpful in this?"**

The Wise One raised his two hands to eye level, and a glowing orb appeared between them.

" **I am sure that you know what happened the last time the ritual was performed."** said the cloaked man, his sentence not a question **"The space-time rupture generated at the Tower of Dawn was powerful enough to affect all of reality. If the ritual was performed incorrectly once again, then all of time would possibly collapse, every timeline torn apart. Past, present and future would be destroyed in a matter of seconds, returning us to the same state as it was before Tau's birth."**

As he spoke, the orb began to show images of the events which the Wise One spoke of.

" **With my extensive knowledge of the Ancient World and the assistance of the acolytes, the chances of you completing the ritual correctly are increased."** he continued **"I presume that you have not yet discovered and repaired all the Wells, and so you still have a few months before everything is properly prepared."**

If what the Wise Man said was true, then he would be a valuable ally in this whole affair. Even if the Temporal Mainframe possessed all the knowledge he needed regarding the ritual, the Acolytes of the Old God would be useful in making sure that everything was done perfectly.

He looked directly at the Wise Man, and with an thoughtful gaze, he responded to the proposal.

" **We shall see Wise One."** Harry said **"And as you said, we still have to restore the devices before even thinking of attempting the ritual. But nonetheless, we shall see if you will prove yourself useful."**

If anyone could see the face of the Wise One, then they would have seen a very gleeful smile.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I think that I need to clarify that the Perennials do not have a natural humanoid form. The ones that appeared in this chapter manifested themselves as humanoids, while their true forms fall under the classification of Eldritch Abomination. Also, this chapter mainly serves as an "introduction" to the Great Void and new perennials, alongside the new character known as the Wise One.
> 
> I need to warn you that I will probably take a longer time to write new chapters to my stories since classes begin next Monday.


	15. The Adversary

"Normal Speech"

_"Thoughts"_

**"Foreign Language"**

_***Other Voice*** _

* * *

_**Chapter 15 – The Adversary** _

**Malfoy Manor, Wiltshire, England (U.K.)**

Lord Voldemort was furious.

The revelation that the Potter brat was nothing more than the ruler of the magical Roman Empire had caused a near unimaginable backslash on his followers. Many had begun to truly disassociate themselves from him, leaving only those who were truly loyal still locked away in Azkaban. There are still few who were both free and loyal, but their number was dwindling.

The fact that countless millions now considered Potter to be an actual deity also served to fuel his rage. When he was roaming Albania as a disembodied spirit, he had planned to take over the Empire after capturing Britain, but he had not realized the kind of power the Romans had. Even he had to admit it quite frightened him, as his Death Eaters would stand no chance against them. They had swiftly taken over the British Ministry of Magic, something he had wanted to do during his first campaign, but failed to do so.

Now, with the Wizengamot dissolved, he had lost all political power he had thanks to the Death Eaters who were part of it, not to mention that Lucius Malfoy could no longer manipulate Fudge with his bribes, since that foolish man was no longer the Minister. The whole reform of the Ministry had also pre-nullified any of his attempts at stealing the prophecy from the Department of Mysteries. Now, his only attempt at getting it was by entering the ministry and stealing it himself.

Yet he would not do that. He didn't want to reveal himself to the world yet, even if Potter now controlled the ministry.

_***That's a strange line of thought…*** _

Voldemort turned around, trying to locate the source of the deep and gravelly voice, clearly male.

_***Are you so eager to see me again Tom?*** _

Voldemort was now even more furious, as the voice had dared to call him by that "filthy muggle name".

 _ ***You should control you emotions***_ said the voice taunting him _***You were far better at doing that decades ago.***_

The voice…despite the rage it caused him…it was familiar.

 ***You should remember me little human*** said the voice ***After all, without me, you would have not become what you are today.***

The voice…it couldn't be…after so many years…

 _ ***Ah! So you do remember?***_ it said _***Then tell me, who am I?***_

"You…you are Ayavan." stated Voldemort "The Primordial of Causality."

 _ ***And you are correct little human**_ * said the voice in a mocking tone _***How much have you changed with the years. I must say that I preferred your previous appearance. The current one makes you look like a failed experiment.***_

Voldemort gritted his teeth. The deity, Ayavan was mocking him, and he had no way to retaliate for the creature's insolence.

 _ ***Creature? Me?***_ asked Ayavan in the same mocking tone as before, but this time in a more threatening way _***You should see yourself in a mirror. Besides, you are the one being insolent. You live only because I allow it, and you have already failed me countless times Voldemort!***_

"I have done everything you ordered me to!"

 _ ***Have you?***_ questioned the deity _***You failed when I told you to not attempt to act against the prophecy and ignore it. You failed when you created those abominations from the murders you committed, not to mention countless other failures before these two!***_

Despite not knowing where Ayavan was, Voldemort took a step back in fear. He didn't want to anger the being more than it was now. He had once seen it truly angry, and it was not something that he wanted to witness again.

***Smart move, but I can still erase you, not mattering your location.***

Voldemort was silenced by the threat.

 ***Remember that all those years ago you swore yourself to be my servant in exchange for power.*** said the perennial ***And I intend for you to continue to serve me until you are no longer required.***

Voldemort scowled. He was young and foolish when he had sworn his service to the deity, and in his reckless quest for power, he had signed away his freedom.

 _ ***Despite my previous and unfulfilled orders, I want you to keep finding ways to attain the prophecy***_ ordered Ayavan _***Neither you, nor any other person you may command, are to harm Harry Potter in any way. Both direct and indirect harm. Am I understood?***_

"Yes."

 _ ***Good.***_ it said _***I will be watching closely.***_

And with that, Ayavan's presence disappeared, leaving Voldemort alone on the room, pondering on the orders of his master.

* * *

**Great Palace, Imperial District, Constantinople, Thrace**

Harry found the Wise One to be a rather interesting and mysterious character. He was almost like a physical version of the Temporal Mainframe, except the Wise One had the tendency to keep certain information regarding past events in absolute secrecy. According to the strange being, it was knowledge that should have been consumed by time, but had survived in him. One of things that the Wise One was unable to tell them was when he had been born. He had told them that it had been so long ago, before the post-Atlantean Palaeolithic period, that he had forgotten about it. Yet the Wise Man had told him that he still remembered when the world was dotted with massive Atlantean cities, far larger than any current modern city, both muggle and magical. Cities which covered both surface and the underground, having a nigh-limitless population capacity, with huge towers and pyramidal structures reaching into the skies.

Oddly enough, all those metropolises had disappeared, leaving only the underground remnants such as St. Petersburg. It had been as if the surface of the Earth had been wiped clean of any remnant of civilization. Curiously enough, it seemed that in the late 19th century, a tribe had been discovered in the mountain caverns of the Himalayas, and it shared many similarities with the descriptions of late-Triumvirate period Atlantean society. It came to be discovered that said tribe was nothing more than the last living remnant of the ancient Atlantean Empire, driven into near total isolation due to the fear and shock caused by the Great Cataclysm, unaware that the human race had risen from the ashes and created a new society from the remnants of the old.

However, when they learned that humanity had survived in various shapes and forms, all members of the tribe had been found dead. They had no wounds and there was no indication that they had been poisoned or anything similar. It was as if they had all been killed by the Killing Curse. Despite the various theories, the only thing that it had been commonly agreed was that it was that very day that the last living remnant of the Atlantean civilization had perished. Nevertheless, Harry still found the knowledge carried by the old man extremely valuable.

Many days had passed since the arrival of the Wise One, and while progress was being made, it was being done rather slowly. Leaving the whole ritual business on the hands of the Acolytes, Harry decided to focus more on the running of the empire. Once again, he was in the Throne Room, sitting on the throne and surrounded on all sides by courtiers, now counting the painter who was painting the whole scene. While they did their jobs, Harry focused more on the writing of new laws which had to be implemented. Placing a piece of parchment over a wooden slab, Harry began to write his newest law.

At least an hour later, Harry had written and reviewed a total of 20 new laws, all of them ready to be enacted as soon as possible. Had Harry wanted to play by the whole "Roman Senate still holds power over the Emperor" façade, then he would have to go to the Magnaura and summon all the senators for a useless session. He was the Roman Emperor, it was him who held the absolute power in the Empire. He was the _Dominus Mundi_ , the Lord of the World, and no one stood above him. Not Dumbledore, not Voldemort, not the useless nobility, no one.

Harry took a deep breath, and looked around. Everyone was still focused on their own tasks, leaving the young emperor without any kind of thing to do. Harry summoned his Megas Logothetes, and informed him that everyone should remain focused on their jobs, as he was going out for a walk. The Megas Logothetes nodded in confirmation, and resumed his work. Harry got up from the throne, and he silently made his way to the exterior of the Throne Room, heading towards his chambers. Beatrice was currently in the Kingdom of Prussia, spending a few days with her parents, so the chances of him meeting her in the palace were null.

Despite still being afternoon, Harry felt tired. Court life was exhausting in its own ways, and it would take a few years before he got used to it. Moments later, Harry was lying down on his bed, and exhaustion took hold of his body, dragging him onto a long nap.

* * *

**Lavatera Meadows, The Gardens**

Feeling a gentle breeze urging him to open his eyes, alongside warmth that was only felt during spring and summer, Harry knew that he was no longer in the Great Palace. Opening his eyes, he saw that he was laying down on the ground, surrounded by white and purple flowers on all sides. Above him was a clear blue sky, filled with magnificent constellations that were somehow visible during the day. Harry stood up, and looked around, he eyes observing the seemingly endless meadows, filled with the strange flowers. But what surprised him the most, were the strange creatures that were sometimes seen in the sky. From Harry's perspective, they resembled sea flaps, except these ones behaved more like birds than sea creatures.

"It is a creature that does not exist on your universe" said a serene and melodic voice, female in tone "It did exist however in a previous one, many eras ago."

Harry turned around, locating the source of the voice. A few meters away from him, was a massive and grotesque being, made of various plants and other alien things. Harry could swear that he was also seeing the organs of the being on the outside. The contrast between the voice and its source was immense.

"Who are you?" asked Harry.

"I am Isis, the one and undivided primordial embodiment of life itself." she answered "And you Incarnate, are in the Gardens. My realm, and an extension of my very being."

Harry looked at the deity with surprise. It had been the second time he had met one of the Sacred Twelve, and once again, it was in a rather strange way.

"How am I here then?" asked the emperor "Moments ago I was just in the Imperial Palace."

"You are still in the Great Palace." replied the primordial "I have simply brought your sleeping mind to this place. You have no need to be alarmed."

"Then why have you brought me here?" question Harry confused.

Isis sighed, and Harry could see a hint of sadness on the deity's face.

"There is much you need to know Incarnate. As much 'innocent' as they may be, you actions and goals are being used by a being whose ambition can bring about our total ruin." said Isis "I know Tau has spoken to you, but as always, his dialogue must have been somewhat cryptic."

Harry shrugged.

"I guess."

"Then let me ask you this. What do you know about the vendetta that the dark wizard known as Voldemort has against you?"

"I assume that he sees me as his greatest failure, since he failed to kill me as a child and other times." said Harry "Other than that I have no idea. Dumbledore always told me that I was too young to know."

Isis nodded.

"Very well. And what do you know about the Great Cataclysm?"

"All I know is that it happened due to a failed ritual in which the Atlantean Triumvirate attempted to become 'lucid dreamers'."

"In order for you to understand exactly the origin and true reasons of the ritual you need to know about one of the, if not the, major events that occurred in the past."

"What?" asked Harry.

"Many eras ago, all the Perennials found themselves in a conflict against a creature who called himself Ayavan. He had appeared out of nowhere, and claimed to be the Primordial of Causality, amongst other things. Ayavan's goals represented a major threat against all of us, and so what we today call the Great War in Heaven began."

"How did it end?" questioned Harry curious.

"It never did." replied Isis "The war simply had long pauses, during which Ayavan retreated and went into hiding. However, all the pauses had one thing in common."

Harry raised an eyebrow.

"Every time Ayavan retreated, it was when Aernus awoke from his sleep."

Harry's eyes widened in surprise.

"He…fears my divine self?"

"We assume he does." replied the deity "Ayavan's tactics are random at best, but each time Aernus awakens, he simply disappears."

"So he is still out there?"

"Yes."

"But what does this have to do with Voldemort or with Atlantis?"

"The true purpose of the Tower of Dawn was kept hidden away from all, even from the Temporal Mainframe." explained Isis "It is true that the tower was created to gather a near infinite amount of energy and then release it, but it's true purpose…it was not to allow the Incarnate of the time to somehow become Aernus."

Now that was something Harry was not expecting.

"Then why was it built?" asked Harry, eager to know.

"The energy gathered in the Tower of Dawn was supposed to serve as a transcendental weapon, capable of finally destroying Ayavan." declared the primordial "However, what we assumed to be a perfect plan, soon revealed itself to be our greatest mistake."

"Why?"

"You have been told that the reason why the ritual failed was because one of the well structures had not been activated, am I correct?"

"You are."

"We helped the Triumvirate to create the Tower, we gave them guidance, and the resources they required." said Isis "But in what was supposed to be our moment of glory, we failed to notice something."

Both Harry and Isis remained silent for a few moments, until Harry realized what had happened.

"Sabotage?!"

His answer was a nod.

"Ayavan sabotaged the device, allowing the cataclysm to happen. " she said "But that was not the worst part."

"Then what was."

"Until that very moment, Ayavan had an hidden agenda. Said agenda was nothing more than his primary goal." she explained "It was with the failed ritual, that Ayavan had assured his very creation."

"W-What?"

"We all fell into a trap. The tower, the ritual and the cataclysm had all been part of Ayavan's plan. It was our actions, manipulated by that abomination, which had created our greatest enemy." explained the primordial of life "Somehow, the newly created Ayavan had gained the ability to travel through the timeline at will, and went into the past to make sure that all the events occurred as they had."

"What…what about his oldest version? The one you had been fighting?" asked Harry.

"He disappeared for a while, until he resurfaced again many decades ago."

"Where?" asked Harry.

"In England." she declared "From what we know, thanks to the Lords of Fate, Ayavan played a very important role in the life of the wizard called Tom Marvolo Riddle. And he still does."

"Voldemort works with him?"

"For him. A foolish deal made Tom Riddle a bound servant of Ayavan." said Isis "Riddle rose to his current status thanks to Ayavan, but it is unknown to us the reason Ayavan is so interested in you. However, the reason Voldemort is so focused on seeing you dead, is because of a prophecy."

"A prophecy? But…am I not immune to fate?"

"You are. The prophecy itself was forged, and Ayavan knew of this. He ordered Voldemort to ignore the prophecy, but he also ordered the deaths of Lillian von Habsburg and James Potter.

"So my…my parents are dead because of that…that thing?"

"Voldemort did his master's bidding but he also saw it as an opportunity to strike against the false prophecy. In his fear of you he attempted to end your life, but as you know he failed and his corporeal form was destroyed."

"And Ayavan?"

"He seems to have waited for the return of his servant. We have been unable to locate Ayavan but his presence has reveal itself already." claimed the perennial "In any case, the Tower of Dawn's ingle purpose was to destroy Ayavan, and we are fortunate that he is still unaware of it."

"So…you want me to use the tower in order to destroy Ayavan?"

"It is the only use it has Incarnate." declared Isis.

Harry took a deep breath. These revelations changed everything. The death of his parents, the ritual, Voldemort…everything. But at least, he had a way to make the cause of all his problems pay for what he had done.

"Very well." said Harry "I will do it."

Isis smiled.

"You must not tell anyone about it or about this conversation." said the deity "If we hope to end the war and put a stop to the ambitions of Ayavan, then we must act in secrecy. In any case, good luck Incarnate."

As soon as she spoke, Harry was surrounded by a bright light, and he knew no more.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The title of "Despot", which Harry once had, was not the same as the designation given to some tyrannical rulers. In this context, "Despot" was once a high ranked title which initially denoted the heir-apparent to the Roman/Byzantine throne. If I am not mistaken it was later replaced with Symbasileus (co-emperor).
> 
> I used it in this fanfic to denote Harry as the only legitimate and viable successor to the vacant Roman throne.


	16. The Power of the Emperor

* * *

"Normal Speech"

_"Thoughts"_

**"Foreign Language"**

_***Other Voice*** _

* * *

" _I, Cyril Dunajski, at the age of 94, can claim with utter certainty that I have been where no other mortal man has. My dearly departed wife, Julia, was not a mere human like myself, but what we can designate as a human-perennial hybrid. The closest term we can have to this would be the Hellenic demigod, but if we would compare the two, then a demigod is an ant to the sheer power a human-perennial hybrid possesses._

_After our marriage, when she revealed her true nature to me, as a daughter of one of the Great Ones, she took me with her on a voyage that I would never forget. First she brought me to the Howling Halls themselves, where I witnessed a spectacle of unexplainable and indescribable majesty. Of the few things I can say about the Great Void, is that it lacks any kind of colour, and that the realms of the many Perennials resemble massive planets from the outside._

_The two of us roamed the void for a while, and when the emptiness of the Void was replaced by vast plains of green, and mountains of trees reaching into impossible heights, alongside other countless floras, I knew that I had entered the realm of Isis. I saw in this beautiful paradise countless creatures whose species had never stepped foot onto Earth. The primordial goddess herself had taken the form of an enormous mountain made of many types of plants and also of the entrails of many races. I can swear that I saw many strange animals being born from the bowels of the perennial, and other in a fixed state of "dying", as no death can enter the realm of Isis, leaving them in that unfortunate state._

_In all honesty, the sight in front of me resembled a sick parody of life itself, yet it was nothing more than an exaggerated version of the truth."_

-"The Howling Halls" by Cyril Dunajski

* * *

_**Chapter 16 – The Power of the Emperor** _

**12 Grimmauld Place, London, England (U.K.)**

Once again, most of the Order was gathered in the kitchen of Sirius's house, yet they were not in a meeting. The kitchen was filled with the sound of people talking, and with the smells of Molly's food. Their moment of relaxation was interrupted when Nymphadora Tonks entered the room with a newspaper on her hand, and with a strange expression on her face.

"What's wrong Tonks?" asked Hermione.

The young auror simply gave the newspaper to the younger witch. Hermione took it, and her eyes widened when she saw the front page. She quickly opened the newspaper, and began to read what had sparkled her interest.

* * *

_In the name of Our Lord Aernus._

_The Emperor and Autocrat Hadrian Komnenos Palaiologos, conqueror of the Britons, pious, prosperous, renowned, victorious, and triumphant, ever august,_

_The imperial majesty must be armed with laws as well glorified with arms, that there may be good government in times of both war and of peace, and the ruler of Constantinople and all her domains may not only be victorious over his enemies, but may also show himself as regardful of justice as triumphant over his conquered foes. Therefore I have reviewed old laws and written new ones, intent on furthering the august role of the Prochiron Aucta._

_The reviewed, rewritten and new laws are the following._

_I. The Roman Empire, or Empire of the Romans, is an absolute and sovereign monarchy, ruled by a hereditary Emperor._

_II. The Person of the Emperor of the Romans is inviolable and sacred. His or her acts are all held above the mortal law and cannot and shall not be judged by any kind of court or jury. The Imperial family also holds this privilege, and all of its members fall under the jurisdiction of the Emperor._

_III. The Emperor is the single representative of the State, for he or she is the State. However, the Emperor and the State are united and embodied in a single person, therefore negating the Pluralis Maiestatis._

_IV. Upon the death of the current Emperor, the Imperial Mantle shall only be passed onto his or her successor upon the coronation._

_V. On the matter of succession, the Emperor is the sole selector of who shall inherit the mantle of Emperor of the Romans upon his or her death. On the event of no heir being selected, the title shall fall under the procedure of an agnatic-cognatic primogeniture, with a preference for Porphyrogennetos relatives. The designated heir of the Emperor of the Romans is to be granted the privileges and duties of a junior emperor, and be granted the office of Symbasileus._

_VI. The political powers recognized by the laws of the empire, are four: the legislative power, the executive power, the judicial power and the reserve power. The Emperor holds all these four without restriction, and only he can grant and revoke them at will._

_VII. Those who refuse to acknowledge the Roman political and social system, the divine authority and rule of the Emperor of the Romans shall be henceforth known as Antikanonikós (Recusants), and be denied citizenship in the Empire and all of its states and nations.. Those who integrate successfully into the lifestyle of an imperial citizen shall be known as Sýmfo̱nos (Concordants). These two social classes are only applicable to muggleborns._

_VIII. A citizen of the empire is recognized as Roman if he or she follows either the Aenean religion or another legal Perennial cult, his or her parents are both Romans, and has been born inside the legal borders of the empire. The status of Roman can be granted by the Emperor to any citizen or foreigner._

_IX. All citizens of the Empire are required to frequent school until the age of 18. The minimum age of schooling is decided by the local governments. Until the age of 18, education shall be free for any Roman citizen on public institutions._

_X. All attempts at promoting or installing another regime for the Empire, be it republican, anarchic or any other than the current one, are considered high treason and punishable by death._

_XI. The usage of the Dementor's Kiss is forbidden on all territories of the empire. Application of this barbaric method is punishable by a slow, agonizing and public death at the Hippodrome of Constantinople._

_XII. Non-academic and unauthorized usage of the magical art known as Necromancy is forbidden. The Imperial Ministry of Magical Arts and Schools can be consulted regarding what falls under the category of Necromancy._

_XIII. The practice of polygamy, in all of its forms, is forbidden in all territories of the empire. Under this law, concubinage is also forbidden, alongside the existence of harems._

_XIV. Adultery, regardless of the gender of the one committing this atrocity, is forbidden within the borders of the empire._

_XV. Usage of the Killing Curse, the Cruciatus Curse or the Imperius Curse is forbidden and punishable by death._

_XVI. All citizens of the Empire (regardless of gender and be they Roman or non-Roman) are to enjoy the same basic rights, as defined by the Prochiron Aucta._

_XVII. The execution of minors is forbidden, and all executions must be approved by the Emperor._

_XVIII._ _All forms of monarchy, merchant republics and semi-presidential republics are the only types of government recognized and authorized within the Roman Empire._

_XIX. All nations and states within the jurisdiction of the Empire are autonomous, but are subject to the laws of the Empire and the will of the Emperor and the Senate._

_XX. In the absence of an Emperor, the Roman Empire shall be governed by the Regency Council._

_Given on the twenty-second day of the calends of July at Constantinople, our Lord Hadrian, ever august, being Consul for the first time, 1995._

* * *

Most of those present were unsure of how to react to the new laws enacted by Harry, but it was Snape who broke the silence that had followed Hermione's reading of the newspaper.

"It seems Potter has finally grown a brain." said the Potions professor "That is, if he did this without help."

"Why Severus?" asked Minerva curious.

"Because from what I can gather from these laws, then Potter, or whatever surname he currently goes by, is consolidating very large amount of personal power at an alarming rate."

"Consolidating?" asked Ron.

"It means to bring together into a unified whole." said Hermione after rolling her eyes "In other words, to unite."

"Granger is correct." stated Snape "Although I admit I am curious if we are considered Roman."

"I doubt it." said Shacklebolt "But I would not be surprised if the Emperor used the eighth law to change that."

"Emperor!?" exclaimed Molly as if she had just learned that fact "He is just a boy! He too young to be an emperor or king!"

"It doesn't matter what you think Molly." replied Sirius "Harry is the legitimate and sole ruler of the entire Roman Empire, the Russian one, and the Portuguese Dominions. Nothing can change that."

"Professor Dumbledore…"

"Dumbledore is nothing!" stated Remus "He has been accused of high treason in the Empire, and is now a wanted man. I am sure that there is a good amount of people who would like to claim the bounty on his head."

Molly was silent after that statement, but neither Sirius nor Remus missed the faint glance she gave at Ron. Those two had begun to act in a strange way since Harry had disappeared from Privet Drive, and it bothered Sirius to a very high degree. Molly seemed to have a strange and rather unhealthy obsession with Harry, which was similar to Dumbledore's. And Ron…well, the youngest male Weasley was an avid supporter of the former Headmaster of Hogwarts and of "the cause of the Light" as well. From Sirius's perspective, nothing good could come out of those three.

"With every day that passes, Potter's power increases." said Moody "The boy commands the most powerful military force this planet has seen, not to mention the old super-weapons that the Atlanteans left before their disappearance. I would like to see Voldemort attempting to do anything against him."

"Super-weapons?" asked Hermione shocked.

"You think that the Atlanteans were the only people that inhabited Earth back in the Ancient World, Miss Granger?" asked Shacklebolt.

"Well…I…most of the books I have read only mention small bits about the Atlantean Empire…"

"From what I have gathered during my travels in central Europe," explained Kingsley "the Atlanteans conquered every single other nation that existed back during their day. They did so not only by using magic, as it was something common and public back then, but also by the usage of immensely powerful weapons."

"Some of those weapons were recovered by the Empire back when some of the buried cities were discovered." said Moody "But they used one such weapon."

"What happened?"

"What both muggle and wizard historians call the Lisbon Earthquake of 1755." revealed Shacklebolt "No one knows why it happened and how it caused the earthquake, but they never used such a weapon again."

"If you had a competent History of Magic professor, then you would have already learned that." stated Remus in a sombre tone.

"Harry would never use such a thing!" said Hermione shocked by that very thought.

"How can you be sure of that?" asked Minerva "Mr. Potter has changed a lot since last year. Don't you remember when he came here several days ago?"

Hermione lowered her head in defeat. It was true, the current Harry was not the same as the old one, and a simple visit had been enough to show that.

"The Dark Lord has been acting in a strange way though." said Snape, interrupting the silence.

"Strange how?" asked Tonks.

"Some lower recruits have claimed they heard him speaking aloud with no one near him." explained Severus "They described it as a conversation though. He has also been acting rather nervously, almost as if afraid of something."

"Harry perhaps?" suggested Minerva.

Snape shrugged.

"I am oblivious to what the Dark Lord fears most at the moment." stated the man "But it is clear that he is most certainly not at the peak of his power."

"Do you think he will return to Hogwarts?" questioned Hermione.

"Perhaps." said McGonagall "He is, after all, the Duke of Hogsmeade, and the owner of the castle."

"He is also the current Prime Minister." added Sirius.

Snape groaned. Ever since the tournament had ended and Potter had gained an impressive amount of power, he had been dreading the moment when the spawn of James Potter would return to Hogwarts. He could only pray to whatever deity that was up there to make sure that the recently crowned monarch had too much on his hands to be able to return to Hogwarts.

* * *

**Somewhere in Europe**

A shrouded figure walked across a dark forest, his presence frightening all animals in the area. Around him, all that was living had their timelines drained by the strange being. Skeletal feet moved towards a tiny lake in a rather small clearing. Its eyes fell on the lake, and the seemingly young figure smiled. Despite the young appearance, the cloaked being had a severely rotten appearance, and from ones perspective it reflected the cloaked one's nature. The twisted figure knelt down before the body of water, and submerged his hand into the crystalline substance.

" **My old friend…"** he said in a calm and gentle voice, before it became a rather harsh whisper **"…awaken!"**

His submerged hand began to glow, and ripples of energy began to propagate across the water, and what was once a crystalline substance became a black liquid, almost as if it was oil. The figure removed his hand from the "water", and watched as from it emerged a humanoid-like mass of goo. Soon enough, it stabilized and assumed the form of a fully clothed male human. He had the appearance of a light skinned teenager with brown messy hair. As he opened his eyes, he took a deep and raspy breath, the first in many millennia. His eyes then fell on the cloaked figure, and as they widened, he knelt.

" **My Lord Ayavan…"**

" **It has been a long time Aranth, my good friend."** said the perennial **"Your loss was felt by us."**

" **How much time has passed since my death?"** asked Aranth.

" **Several million years."**

The newly resurrected human son of Pontus, the primordial of the Seas, gasped in shock.

" **Why was I resurrected just now?"** he questioned.

Ayavan smiled.

" **Because, my friend, the current Incarnate is the one we want."**

Aranth smiled at Ayavan's revelation.

" **At last…"**

" **Indeed."** stated the perennial **"We must depart this place. We have much to do."**

Soon enough, the forest was empty of any sapient life, and the only sign of a former presence were the ashes where once stood plants or animals.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You may have obviously noticed the "small" excerpt before the start of the chapter. I have decided to create a small segment with parts of an in-universe book which describes the travels of a Polish man and his wife across the Great Void. It serves as a way to show better the Sacred Twelve and their personal realms.


	17. The Protomachy

* * *

"Normal Speech"

_"Thoughts"_

**"Foreign Language"**

_***Other Voice*** _

* * *

" _As the two of us left the Gardens, we traversed the void until we entered a strange realm. We stood on the margin of a river, near its mouth. As I looked around, I saw many strange towers littering the landscape, the majority of them ruined, while very few were still intact. But as I looked around, I noticed that the waters of the river were not flowing into the vast ocean that stood before us. Instead, it was the waters of the ocean that flowed into the river. We walked for a while, stumbling upon small branches of the river that after a while would reunite into the main one._

_Yet when I looked into the distant and absent sky, I saw things that should have never been seen. I saw time and space, in all of their majestic greatness. Past and present, time reaching into all locations, every single one of them projected into my eyes, burning my mind, but it was the future, a never ending ocean of possibilities, all of them uncertain, which incinerated my already damaged consciousness. It was thanks to the powers of my dear wife that I had my mind restored, and thankfully cleansed of the visage I had seen, yet leaving some sort of echo of the experience, allowing me to be aware of what I had seen, despite not remembering it._

_It was then that I realized that I had looked onto He who is the very embodiment of time and space. He who is past, present and future in one. The being called by us mortals as Chronos, but known to his brethren as another name, unpronounceable to us."_

-"The Howling Halls" by Cyril Dunajski

* * *

_**Chapter 17 –** _ **The Protomachy**

In the beginning, when reality itself stood uncreated, nothingness itself became corrupted. The corruption expanded and gained form. As it opened its mind to the emptiness around him, time began to flow, space began to expand, and like the corruption, it became intelligent. Following those two came the one whose very purpose was unclear to them, but even so, death had been generated from the void of nothingness.

As the three became whole, so did the Aion, the collective spirit of eternity and all that was unending. It was then that the three creatures gave themselves the name of Perennials, for they were everlasting. The three united, and from their essences, the All-in-One was born, and to him the name of Aernus was given. From Aernus and Tau, the corruptive perennial, were born darkness and light, the two pillars which sustained the very fabric of the Great Void. Eventually, Tau and Chronos, the omnipresent entity of time and space, joined together to create chaos, order and life. The first two, giving shape to the natural order of things, as the very nature of the conflict which was even beyond the divine was understood by them. The last one, life, waited for her role to be presented, and the patience of a primordial is unending. And so, when Tau and Mors, the embodiment of death, finally united, they gave birth to war and peace, reflectors of the major conflicts that would assault reality itself.

But even so, it was not the end, for as corruption was created, it required an opposite force. And so from Tau, purity was born. But he was reviled by his fellow perennials, for he represented the return to nothingness, and so his physical form was destroyed, and his very essence banished into the unknown, leaving behind small fragments of what he embodied.

And so upon that day, this first generation became known as the _Megas Protogenoi_ , or simply as the Sacred Twelve. But following them came the Eternals, known also as the _Micro Protogenoi_. The first was Victoria, daughter of Reshep, embodiment of war, and Dievas, peace embodied. Victoria then became the eternal consort of Aernus, and with him she gave birth to Ananke, Nemesis, Khazar and Coeus.

It was then that Mors and Isis united to create Gaea, the very embodiment of the Earth. From her own essence, Gaea crated Ouranos, the skies and Pontus, the seas. Yet when Mors and Gaea united, their offspring was Tartarus, who was the deepest sphere beneath underworld itself. It was then that her son Ouranos became her eternal consort. But when Nox, the very darkness, touched Ouranos, Nyx, the embodiment of the night was born. Athor, light embodied, jealous of such action, touched Ouranos as well, and from the two was both Cipacton, the primordial of the day. But the Eternals became whole when Tau and Nemesis, the embodiment of retribution, united to create Lethys, Ennos and Erimos.

But as the birth of the Eternals ended, Ananke became the consort of Chronos, and from the two were born the three incarnations of mortal fate: the Librarian, the Writer and the Oracle.

Following them came the new generation of perennials, known to mortal and immortal alike as the titans, the offspring of Gaea and Ouranos. Their firstborn was Atlas, who became the embodiment of astronomy itself. Following him came Kreios, who embodied the stars, and his twin brother Hyperion, who embodied the movement of all celestial bodies. Afterwards was born Rhea, the embodiment of childbirth, allowing the female perennials to give birth naturally, without needing to unite their essence with other perennials. And in the end came the triplets Iapetos, embodying mortality, Mnemosyne, embodying memory, and Phoibe, the embodiment of mystery.

It was then, after the first generation of titans had been born, that Aernus, in all of His wisdom decided to unite all existing concepts and future ones into a single location. But neither the Aion nor the Great Void here capable of sustaining such a place. So, from himself he created Hypnos, the personification of sleep, and Morpheus, the personification of dreams, allowing him to fall asleep and dream a boundless realm into existence. And so, encircling the sleeping Aernus were his two first children, Nox and Athor, protecting their father from any kind outside intrusion. However, while they prevented any outside threat, they would not be able to intervene if the threat came from within.

And so, when they least expected it, during the Second Era, Ayavan appeared, and with him a major threat to all of creation.

* * *

**Earth (Second Era)**

The small village of Pernrith was located near the border of the local kingdom. Much the majority of the other towns, Pernrith had a temple where the local gods were worshipped. For all intents and purposes, this was supposed to be a simple and normal day in this medieval-like village, but as in all of time and space, events that do not tie with the timeline, are those that we do not expect.

Children screamed in terror as the forest nearby suddenly began to wither away, almost as if all live within it had been striped away, and such anomaly was followed by the dark clouds that gathered in the skies. The oncoming storm would be much worse than what the villagers of Pernrith had witnessed, as above the mortal layer of reality, transcending the confines of time and space, a battle of unthinkable proportions was being fought. The very timeline of living beings was drained away by the hunger of the Shadowed Man, as the people of Earth called him. Such a violation of the complex workings of fate was unthinkable, and the three embodiments of fate were the first to attack their very first threat. Afterwards, the _Megas Protogenoi_ joined the conflict against the Shadowed Man, but even against these powerful deities, he never ceased to pursue his hidden ambitions.

Ayavan, as he was actually called, was a mystery to them all, and his abilities were even more. But as time passed, Ayavan's hunger diminished, but he still possessed the ability to fully consume the timeline of mortal beings, and that was what frightened and confused the perennials in a great scale. If Ayavan's own power was capable of overwriting the decisions taken by the three Lords of Fate, then what else could he do?

And when he had recruited one of the sons of Pontus to his side, the war began to affect the mortal realm in far more ways than one, as the human-perennial hybrids began to fight in the Protomachy as well. The young boy whose name was Aranth had been granted a strange type of ability which allowed him to traverse the timeline alongside his master, alongside a special type of immortality. However, it did not prevent him to be killed during the final years of the Atlantean Empire.

And to this very day, that question still haunts their minds, especially after the whole disaster with the Tower of Dawn. Even today, he was hiding, keeping his presence concealed from them, quietly orchestrating the final phases of his ultimate plan.

And unknowingly to them, he was closer than they could have ever imagined.

* * *

**Present Day**

Many days had passed since Harry had enacted the twenty new laws, and since Ayavan had resurrected his faithful servant. The two factions stood silent, placing the universe and all that surrounds it in an ominous wait, with the Eternal Court standing ready for any of Ayavan's possible attacks, while the Shadowed Man himself continues to put his plans into motion, right under the noses of all those that opposed him. Yet there was something about Ayavan that frightened the Perennials the most. Something that they could not even reveal to their only hope against the strange being, as it would put in cause all they had worked for.

However, Ayavan knows of this. He knows that the other Perennials fear him, yet their fear is justified. He knows that they hide his true nature from the young emperor, hoping to keep him on their side, a pawn to their cowardice. Yet he also knows that Harry's ignorance must be kept for now, as if the truth was revealed too soon, then everything he had worked for would be for nothing. Everything he had done had a purpose, and none of his actions had been for some sort of sick personal amusement. Even so, the emperor's eyes had to be opened to the wider scale of reality.

And he would make sure that this event would happen, as he had done many times before with others.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is short, I know, but now begins the actual "conflict" between The Incarnate (Emperor Hadrian II) and Ayavan. Be assured that next chapter shall be their first moment of interaction. I may also explain the "greek" connection.
> 
> The Protomachy – The name given to the very first war in all of reality. It has been fought since the early eras, and had many interruptions ever since. While some aspects of the war may affect the mortal realm, the "true war" is fought in the divine planes.
> 
> The Eternal Court – The name given by mortals to the three groups that compose the main pantheon of the Aenean faith, them being the Sacred Twelve (Megas Protogenoi), the Eternals (Micro Protogenoi), and the Nameless Ones. The titans and other groups such as the Lords of Fate are not part of the Eternal Court, yet they are "affiliated" with it.


	18. To Fall Into the Ocean

* * *

"Normal Speech"

_"Thoughts"_

**"Foreign Language"**

_***Other Voice*** _

* * *

" _I was brought into the deepest reaches of the Great Void, and entered the oldest of the realms, home to the physical manifestation of the Corrupter. Beyond the countless barren hills was a massive ravine, reaching into depths unknown. Floating above the ravine was an ethereal form, taking many strange shapes, but I could clearly understand that the more time I spent on this alien realm, the more I was afflicted by the omnipresent presence of its creator. Tau spoke to me, tempting me with many promises and claiming that he could fulfil my innermost desires. It took all of my willpower to resist to the vile deity, but even today I suspect that he did not affect me fully at the time with his powerful presence and influence._

_As I left the abyss, I heard his voice taunting me, claiming that despite my beliefs, I was already corrupted. And perhaps he was right."_

-"The Howling Halls" by Cyril Dunajski

* * *

_**Chapter 18 – To Fall Into the Ocean** _

As the days passed, Harry began to grow more restless and exhausted. The deep intrigue of court life and the whole complexity of the Eastern Roman court was not only confusing but also difficult to keep track of. Not only that, but as the Prime Minister of magical Great Britain he had to maintain order on his father's homeland. At this rate, the logical thing to do was that it was time to pass the mantle to someone else.

And so, he had called for a meeting of the House of Lords, a week before the first day of September.

* * *

**Parliament Chamber, Ministry of Magic, London (U.K.)**

All the members of the four factions were present, and leading the session was the Lord President Rufus Scrimgeour.

"My Lords, I declare this session started." said the Lord President "Pray be seated."

Everyone inside the room did so, including those on the Heir's Gallery.

"The first two points of this session are to be presented by His Grace The Duke of Hogsmeade and Prime Minister." he continued.

Harry got up from his seat and addressed the members of the house.

"My Lords, as part of the integration of the society of magical Great Britain into the Roman Empire, one of such methods of integration was that the House of Lords be separated into Lords Temporal, which encompass those present, and the Lords Spiritual."

"Lords Spiritual?" questioned Muriel.

"The Lords Spiritual are composed only of high members of the clergy." explained Harry "As maximum number of members is eighty, the House shall be divided into forty Lords Temporal and Forty Lords Spiritual."

"And who exactly are to be these Lords Spiritual?" asked Moody.

"At the moment, until Queen Elizabeth chooses who shall be the Patriarch of England and the Patriarch of Scotland there are to be no Lords Spiritual." said Harry "Besides, we need to commence the construction of an actual magical cities on British soil so that we can have a more advanced structure. Not to mention the fact that Diagon Alley is rather restricted and small. I doubt that we could build a cathedral in there."

"What about Northern Ireland and Wales?" inquired Amos Diggory.

"Northern Ireland is under the jurisdiction of the Patriarchate of Scotland, while Wales is under the Patriarchate of England." answered Harry.

The members of the house seemed to accept his answer.

"Now to the second matter of the session, I have decided to resign from the office of Prime Minister."

All present looked at Harry in surprise and as if he was mad.

"To succeed me in this office, I have chosen the Right Honourable Muriel Prewett." he said "And if she accepts, the she shall be elevated to the office immediately."

The others looked at Muriel Prewett curiously, every single one of them wanting to know the answer.

"I-I accept Your Grace." said the stunned woman.

"Very well then." said the Lord President "Let it be recorded that His Grace The Duke of Hogsmeade has resigned from the office of Prime Minister, and that the Right Honourable Muriel Prewett has been chosen to succeed him."

Harry sighed in relief. He had one less burden taken of his back, and now he could focus on more important matters. Such as the Empire and Hogwarts.

One of the reasons he had decided to return to Hogwarts was due to the fact that he was rather curious on how he would be treated by the rest of the students and the staff as well. Yet more importantly, he felt as if there was something compelling him to return. Almost as if something terrible would happen if he did not.

* * *

**Hogwarts Express**

The last days of summer holiday were much calmer than the holidays themselves were, but unfortunately they were gone in the blink of an eye. Harry made sure that he had adequate protection, both on the voyage to the castle, but also inside the castle proper, and as soon as he was inside the platform, he quickly made his way to the Hogwarts Express.

Without Dumbledore there, he had a much wider freedom, and the revelation that he was the owner of the castle "opened a few doors". Before it had been turned into a school, the castle was a mere small fortress that once served as the residence of the Potter family. However, when the Potters decided to build a new residence, the fortress became obsolete. So when the wizards who would become the Four Founders approached the Duke of Hogsmeade of their era, he gladly allowed them to turn the fortress into what would become the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

Yet the deal was only sealed when the only surviving daughter of Godric Gryffindor married the Potter heir of the time. And the rest was history, much like the old, now defunct, and forgotten Potter tradition of marring into powerful families, only for the male heirs of said families and their offspring to die mysteriously after the marriage. One such example would be when Iolanthe Peverell married Hardwin Potter, and her younger brother died in a strange accident involving the crib where the toddler was.

Regardless of the old history of the intrigues of the now (legally) extinct Potter family, Harry possessed power within the school that overwrote that of the Headmaster and the Board of Governors, and if he wished he could throw them out.

As he entered the train, Harry walked down the corridor, looking for Hermione, Ginny or the Weasley twins. After passing through several compartments, Harry finally had found the one where Ginny was. With her were Neville and a girl with blond hair that Harry did not recognize. He opened the doors and Neville and Ginny, who had been talking to each other, turned their attention to Harry.

"Hi Harry." greeted Ginny.

"Hello Ginny, Neville."

"Hey Harry." replied Neville.

Harry noticed that the girl was reading some sort of newspaper, yet upside down.

"It's nice to see you back amongst us common folk." said the red-head jokingly "Shame that we couldn't see your coronations though."

"If you want I can borrow you a pensive and the memory of the coronation." suggested Harry sitting down.

"That would be nice." said Ginny "By the way, this is Luna Lovegood, an old friend of mine."

Harry looked at the blond witch, who turned her attention from the book to Harry, and as he looked at her eyes, he saw a familiar sight.

" **Hello my Lord Incarnate."**

Harry's eyes widened in surprise at the usage of the First Language, spoken solely by the perennials, while both Ginny and Neville covered their ears, as if they were in pain. However, when Neville did so, one of his hands touched the plant he had in a sensitive spot, causing it to release a strange substance that hit almost everything inside the compartment.

It was only then that Lune realized what she had done.

"Sorry." she said in her dreamy voice.

Ginny pulled out her wand. "Scourgify!"

The liquid disappeared from the room, but the smell remained. Harry pulled out his wand as well, and used a charm that cleansed the air inside the room.

"Much better!" exclaimed Ginny with relief, before turning her attention to Luna "What was that Luna?!"

"That was the language of the perennials." answered the witch.

Both Ginny and Neville were confused about why Luna was able to speak in such a language, yet Harry was far more interested in something else.

"Who are you Luna?" he asked.

The girl smiled at him. "I'm Luna Lovegood. Daughter of Xenophilius Lovegood and of the Oracle."

"The Oracle?" he asked.

"One of the three Lords of Fate. She is the embodiment of prophetic fate, and a daughter of Chronos and Ananke."

"Ananke? So that means that you're my great-granddaughter of sorts." he said.

"You can say that."

"So…a human-perennial hybrid at Hogwarts." he mumbled "Did you know what I was."

"Your presence was hidden from us." she answered "Until a few months ago I only saw you as another mortal."

"Are there any others like you at Hogwarts?" he asked.

"No. But there are at least five demigods." she replied, and Harry could head a hint of disdain in her voice.

"Demigods?" he questioned confused "What the difference?"

"Demigods are the offspring of gods, who in turn are the offspring of titans." she stated "And if there is one thing that demigods inherited from their divine parent is the lack of power that a true perennial possesses, the near absolute arrogance and self-entitlement."

"What are you two talking about?" asked Ginny, completely stunned by the conversation "Why did she call you Lord Incarnate?"

"Luna is the daughter of one the deities worshipped in the perennial cults, who represents one of the three aspects of fate." said Harry "I, on the other hand, am the physical and mortal manifestation of the sleeping mind of Aernus."

"Aernus?" asked Ginny even more confused.

"If I'm not wrong, he is the primordial of unity and the deity who created the universe." said Neville.

"He created the universe by dreaming it into existence." explained Harry "He is also one of the most worshipped deities across the world, both in the muggle and the wizarding world."

"In the muggle world?" questioned Neville.

"The Jewish religion and its predecessors had origins in a religion whose beliefs were remnants of the ancient Atlantean religion." said Harry "eventually, one of such cults evolved until it became what we today call Judaism, and two of its branches would become the predominant religions in the majority of the muggle world, them being Christianity and Islam. Yet the deity they worship, be it Yahweh, Eloah, God or Allah, these names refer to the same being, which is Aernus, the single creator of the universe."

Even Jesus Christ was once an Incarnate, the one who succeeded Octavius Augustus, while many believed it would be Tiberius who would be the next incarnation of Aernus. Strangely enough, Christ possessed more divine abilities than his predecessors and successors.

"That's…confusing." said Ginny "Less than it was before, but still confusing."

"It's great though that we can now worship the perennials again." exclaimed Neville "The old Ministry of Magic seemed to want to turn us all into atheists or something similar."

"My family never mentioned that. I never even heard of the Perennials before this whole thing with the Empire." said Ginny

Neville frowned. "Dumbledore and a few of his predecessors tried to give a good impression to muggleborns by banning the cults. Many muggleborns see our old practices as evil due to their religions. Since your family supported Dumbledore, then it's obvious why you never heard of them."

"With the reintegration of Britain into the Roman Empire that has changed." said Harry "The laws of the Confederation have become null, and by consequence, Dumbledore's as well. Britain now follows that laws of the Prochiron Aucta."

The three continued to talk for several minutes, with Harry and Luna explaining to Ginny and Neville what they did not understand about the Perennials, or at least they tried to. Many things were beyond human comprehension, and to try to explain them, would be the equivalent of trying to teach a chicken the Theory of Relativity. Harry however, wondered where Hermione was.

"Where's Hermione?"

"She was made Gryffindor Perfect." Said Ginny before her voice became bitter "And Ron was as well."

"WHAT!?"

Harry's rage manifested itself as a thunderstorm outside. The skies became darkened, and the sun's light was engulfed by the clouds.

"How in the name of sanity did that lazy bum become the Gryffindor Perfect? Even Dean or Nestor would be a much better choice!"

Ginny sighed. "Guess who."

Harry growled "Dumbledore."

It seemed that despite the fact that the old man was no longer the headmaster and was now a fugitive, some of his actions seemed to still have effect on the present.

"Yep. Malfoy and Parkinson became the Slytherin Perfects, while…"

Ginny was not able to finish her sentence, as the compartment's door opened and Hermione entered fuming.

"Hello Hermi… what's wrong?"

"I want to know what was in Dumbledore's mind when he made Ronald a Perfect." hissed Hermione as she sat down next to Ginny. "Says that he wants to take points from all the Slytherins and give them detentions."

"Does he?" asked Harry in a mocking way "Then I may have to remind him who is the absolute authority in Hogwarts."

Hermione became confused, and only after a few seconds she realized what Harry meant.

"Right, you're the Duke of Hogsmeade."

"Indeed I am." he said "Don't forget that I own the castle, and by consequence, the school."

Harry could see that Hermione was relieved, and there was something that Ginny mentioned that made him remember something. Why didn't Malfoy appear to the annual Hogwarts Express talk like every other year Harry supposed that Malfoy had finally grown a brain, and realized that taunting the Roman Emperor was a very bad idea.

The rest of the trip continued smoothly, until the train finally arrived at the Hogsmeade station.

The group left the train, and Harry noticed that it wasn't Hagrid who was guiding the first years.

 _"Where is he?"_ he wondered.

The five quickly headed towards one empty carriage. Harry's rage had also produced a violent rainstorm, and almost everyone was getting wet. As the five entered, Harry caught a glimpse of what looked like horses.

 _"Hold on! The carriages never had horses before!"_ he thought.

Neville was the last to enter, and as he closed the door the group sighed in relief. Harry looked at Luna, and noticed that the girl was still reading the same book as before. Several minutes after, the carriages began to move, and they headed towards the castle.

* * *

**Hogwarts School, Hogsmeade, Scotland (U.K.)**

The Sorting Ceremony had gone by as usual, and the Hat's song had been different like the other years. Harry made sure to sit away from Ron and to check his food for any kind of potion or poison. The fact that Dumbledore was away did not meant that he would not try anything. Luckily, the food was free of any kind of potion, and so Harry was able to eat. He noticed that Hagrid was absent from the teachers table, and that Umbridge was sitting where the professor for Defence against the Dark Arts normally sat.

" _What's Umbridge doing here?"_ he wondered.

She was fully dressed in pink, and if Harry was unable to detect them, then he would believe that the woman was the perennial of visual diabetes.

McGonagall, who had become the new Headmistress, gave the opening speech, introducing Umbridge as the new Defence against the Dark Arts teacher. The rest of the feast went normally, until Harry noticed something wrong. Sitting near Lavender Brown was a boy he had never seen before. He had messy hair, and both the hair and the eyes were of a brown colour. Strangely enough, he was chatting with the others as if he knew them for a long time.

Harry turned towards Neville, who was sitting next to him.

"Neville." he whispered "Who's that boy next to Lavender?"

"Next to Lavender?" he whispered back, his voice showing confusion and disbelief "Harry, that's Nestor Dougal. He's been our college since our first year at Hogwarts."

While Neville returned to his food, Harry remembered that Ginny had mentioned him in the Hogwarts Express, but he had ignored it. He would have to deal with it later.

* * *

That night, inside the common room, Harry made all the possible attempts to ignore Ron, and it seemed that the youngest male Weasley had taken the hint. However, as the common room became empty, the students going to bed, only Harry and Nestor remained behind. The brown haired boy was sitting on the armchair, reading a book, while Harry was sitting in front of the chessboard. He looked suspiciously at the boy, Nestor, who had appeared out of nowhere. Who exactly was he?

"Someone from your past, your present and your future."

Harry snapped out of his thoughts and noticed that Nestor was no longer reading a book, but looking straight at him, with a mischievous smile on his face.

"What do you mean?" he questioned the boy.

Nestor simply got up from the armchair and walked towards Harry. As he did so, Harry too got up from his chair. When the two stopped, they were at least at a meter of distance from each other.

"I have been watching you Harry." said Nestor "I've been watching you very closely."

"Why?"

"Because you, Incarnate, are none other than the main target of my attention."

Harry's eyes widened in shock at the statement. How did he know that he was the Incarnate?

"How do I know?" asked Nestor, as if reading Harry's thoughts "Because I too am a perennial."

"What!?" nearly yelled Harry, his voice low enough that no one heard him "Who are you?"

Nestor simply smiled.

"I have had many names over the years." he said "The God of the World to Be, the Lord of the Never-Was, the Master of the Gathering Darkness, the Keeper of the Key, the Wretched Advisor, the Shadowed Man, and many others."

"The Shadowed Man…." Harry knew that name, and he knew who it belonged to "You…you're Ayavan."

Nestor, or Ayavan, simply smiled in a sinister way.

"We finally meet Harry, Incarnate of Aernus." said Ayavan "However, I believe that this is not the best place for such a meeting."

"What…?"

Ayavan's eyes glowed brightly, and a massive wave of purple energy engulfed the two, until Harry saw only darkness.

* * *

**Unknown Location**

Harry opened his eyes, and he immediately knew that he was not at Hogwarts. Looking around, Harry found himself on a strange location. There was a strange lack of light, almost as if it was night-time, and the only light available was the one from the street lamps. It seemed that he was on a street, but the buildings were…strange to say the least. They seemed to be made of an enormous amalgamation of architectural styles, and none of them seemed to be kept in place, as they were changing all the time. There was no one around him, not ever Nestor, or Ayavan, or whatever he called himself. The place where he was seemed to be devoid of life.

He looked at the sky, and saw that it was dark, filled with stars that seemed to lack any kind of brightness. There was also a reddish tint to the sky, almost like an aurora.

"Where am I?" mumbled Harry.

Yet his answer came shortly after the question.

 ***Wondering where you are Harry*** asked Ayavan in the voice of Nestor ***Do you really want to know?***

"Yes!"

Ayavan merely chuckled.

 ***Very well, then.*** he said ***I guess I can only welcome you to the future.***

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just to be noted, I have no problem against atheists, as I was once one myself. I am currently a Christian Deist, who follows a strange version of the "Jesus as the Son of God" school of thought. Even I have to admit that my beliefs can be confusing to another person.
> 
> Nestor Cato Dougal – A wizard who is also on his 5th year but appeared out of nowhere. However, everyone seems to treat him as if he had been on Hogwarts for a long time. He is none other than Ayavan under a careful disguise.
> 
> The Future – A mysterious realm which lies in the farthest reaches of the main timeline. It is manifested and represented as an ocean in Chronos's realm, and is the polar counterpart to the Graveyard.


	19. The Darkest Margin of the River

* * *

"Normal Speech"

_"Thoughts"_

**"Foreign Language"**

_***Other Voice*** _

* * *

_"I saw as the colourless expanses of the void became blackened, until I was floating in nothing more than the space between light and darkness themselves. Beyond the black expanse, was a massive cluster of stars, dancing in a peculiar pattern. They formed unimaginable shapes, that my very mind and memory were incapable of conceiving._

_It was only when that my wife told me that that was the body of the greatest of the elder ones, that I understood that I was looking directly into the god who had dreamt me and the rest of all mortal beings into existence. I was looking at Aernus. I was looking into the total amalgamation of all concepts that exist and shall exist. The All-in-One was in front of me."_

-"The Howling Halls" by Cyril Dunajski

* * *

_ **Chapter 19 – The Darkest Margin of the River** _

**The Street, Future**

To say that Harry was surprised would be an understatement. So, if Ayavan was telling the truth, then he had been transported into the future. But…the future was not exactly what he supposed it would be. It lacked…life. He could not sense any kind of life nearby, which was strange considering he was on a street. But if this was the future, then that meant that the current state of things could be due to the outcome of the war.

"How can this be the future?" asked Harry "Its…empty, lifeless. The buildings are twisted, the skies are dark, even darker than the night… This place…it's..."

 ***Unreal?*** questioned Ayavan ***Oh, I can assure you that this is indeed the future. But, what you think is the future, is nothing more than a mortal belief. The future is…a more complex thing. Considering who you are, you should be aware of it***

"What do you mean?" asked Harry "Isn't the future supposed to be the things that are yet to happen?"

 ***Not in the way you perceive it*** replied Ayavan ***You must unlearn those little mortal beliefs that are carved on your head. What you know, what you think you know, is nothing more than a fabrication of mortal kind.***

To Harry, that was a strange statement.

 ***You and I are not mortals. The physical shell which you inhabit may be mortal, but what you truly are is not.*** stated Ayavan ***Our existence transcends above mortal laws, and I do not refer to the laws of nations. I am talking about the laws of nature, the laws of physics and many others which mortals have yet to discover.***

"I already know that."

 ***Do you?*** asked Ayavan * **You claim you know it, yet you behave as if you did not.***

"And who are you to try to give me lessons!?" questioned Harry who was starting to get irritated "At least I'm not the one who starts a war for no reason, and it is because of you that my parents are dead!"

 ***The deaths of…Lily and James were necessary. You will soon realize it, and you will know why they had to die. And you will understand why I began this war as well.*** said the being ***You will understand Harry, that all I do has a purpose and I leave nothing to chance.***

Harry was on the brink of rage, but he still managed to keep himself calm despite Ayavan's words.

***For now, I wish you to simply walk down this road for a while.***

Now that was…not expected as well.

"Erm…why?" he asked slightly confused.

Ayavan merely chuckled.

 ***When you do so, you will see why.*** claimed the being ***Besides, it is not a good idea to stand in the same place for long here.***

Despite not trusting the being, Harry began to walk down the street, passing through several buildings as he did so. The more he walked, the more creeped out he felt. There was no wind, no sound in this place. Yet he felt as if he was being watched by something. Something other than Ayavan.

 ***Can you feel it?*** asked Ayavan ***There is no life in here, the passage of time is merely an illusion, and space…I think that it is best if I don't explain that bit.***

"How can this be the future?" he asked again.

 ***What you see around is nothing more than everything that has not yet come to pass. Be it in the current universe or in future ones.*** explained the Shadowed Man ***Yet there are many things in this place that shall never come to pass.***

"Like what?"

 ***There are too many for me to reveal.*** he said ***But as you can…***

Ayavan was unable to finish his sentence, as suddenly both Harry and the strange presence felt a shift in the atmosphere. In truth, there was a lack of atmosphere, but the feeling was much familiar to Harry. It was a feeling of dread. As he was about to ask what was happening, without warning appeared six strange creatures, each in stances that resembled puppets.

As Harry looked closer at them, he realized that they had the appearance of rotten corpses, some with the skeleton fully visible. Yet those that were more…complete, seemed to have a body made of solid lava. Where their eyes were supposed to be, were instead two orifices with a red glow, and there seemed to be cracks in their "skin", from which emanated a red light. And it was then that Harry noticed that they were slowly shambling towards him.

"What…what are those things?" he asked in fear, his wand pointing at them.

 ***There is no time to explain what they are.*** said Ayavan in urgency ***But you must destroy them. Most of your spells are useless against them, but water spells are very effective.***

The things were getting closer to him, and Harry decided to use the only water spell he knew.

"Aqua Eructo!"

From Harry's wand came a sprout of water that hit all the six creatures. As soon as the water touched them, their bodies became grey, as if the "fire" within them had been extinguished.

 ***Get back, and use the Reductor Curse while pointing at the ground beneath them.*** ordered Ayavan.

And Harry did so.

"Reducto!"

A blue jet went straight at where the creatures were, and in an explosion of light, the six things were blasted into tiny bits, much like the ground beneath them.

"Can you…can you explain now what those things were?" asked Harry "Better yet, explain why I felt no life coming from them?"

 ***That's because they are not "alive" in the common sense of the word.*** explained Ayavan ***Those things were called Time Revenants.***

"Time Revenants?"

***They are the most common of their kind. Beneath them only the Time Parasites***

"But what are they?"

 ***Creatures that belong to a…race which you can call the Temporal Shades.*** said the Shadowed Man ***They are essentially the inchoate forms of humans' future selves. The more close they are to the present, the more complete they seem to be.***

"You mean they are the future selves of humans from my time?"

 ***Not just from your time, but even from humans that do not exist yet.*** said Ayavan ***Much like the rest of this place, many of them may not even come to exist. And do not presume that one person only has a single Temporal Shade. The future of all things is uncertain.***

"But why did they attack me?"

***Because they see you as food.***

"Food?"

 ***These creatures feed on time Harry.*** said Ayavan ***It's not for sustenance, but more of an obsession they seem to have. They crave for timelines and so they constantly fight each other for dominance of the main timeline. But you…you are the only living being here with a physical form. And since you have a physical form, and you are none other than Aernus incarnate, your timeline, despite being freed from aspects of fate, is eternal…unending.***

"So I would be a limitless source of aliment for these…creatures"

 ***Ah, you are learning.*** stated Ayavan.

"You said before that the Time Revenants were the most common type of Temporal Shades right?" questioned Harry.

***I did.***

"So if there are others, then what is their difference from the Revenants?"

 ***The shape and power that a Shade possesses are reflections of the lives of their present selves.*** explained Ayavan ***For example, the more power someone possesses, be it political, financial or any other kind of power, then the more advanced their Shade is.***

"And I just destroyed a few." said Harry "Won't that have consequences in the present?"

 ***If it has then they won't be relevant enough to be noticed.*** said the Shadowed One ***Remember that they were Revenants, the second weakest form of Shades, so their influence on the present world is near to none.***

It was then that Harry had an idea. He knew that it was absurd, but it was worth to try it, or at least ask Ayavan about it.

"So, if I could find Voldemort's shades and destroy them would he be defeated?"

 ***Voldemort no longer has shades.*** stated Ayavan.

"What!? Why?"

 ***The death of all mortal creatures is a predestined event, and shades only exist when their present self is alive.*** said Ayavan ***Voldemort timeline ended when he was killed by his own curse in Godric's Hollow.***

"But he is alive."

 ***Oh, I know. But when he created Horcruxes, he defied both the laws of death and the laws of time.*** revealed the deity ***Let's just say that Chronos, Mors, and the Lords of Fate are not pleased with him.***

"They are not pleased with you as well."

 ***But he is a mortal. I am not.*** said Ayavan ***Tom Riddle's continued existence is an affront to the laws of time and a major disturbance of the main timeline. A disturbance your former headmaster sought to manipulate, but the results turned against him.***

Harry growled in annoyance.

"What now?" he asked.

***Now…you move forward.***

* * *

Harry walked for what seemed to be hours. Along the way he was attacked by more of the Shades, yet this time, it was not only the Revenants, but also a new type which Ayavan called the Time Keepers. Most like the Revenants, the Keepers had either a decayed, near-complete or complete form. They had the appearance of people dressed half in armour, while the other half was in robes, and their head was fully covered by cloth. The only thing visible being the glowing red orbs which served as the eyes.

Yet despite it all, the Keepers fell the same way the Revenants did. A sprout of water and a good blast.

Eventually, when Ayavan spoke again, it was to inform Harry that they had arrived at their first destination. And when Harry noticed where they were, he could only look at it with his mouth gaping, for in front of him was Hogwarts, except with a few differences.

* * *

**The Crumbled Castle, Future**

Many parts of the castle had fallen into ruin, and unlike the street, the castle remained the same, with no change happening. The towers had fallen, the Forbidden Forest continued to be nothing more than burnt grounds, and for Harry that could only mean one thing.

"Hogwarts will be destroyed?"

 ***All that lives will die, and the castle, despite not being alive in the common sense of the word, will die too.*** said Ayavan ***But it will be a slow death, for as much beneficial magic is, it is also corrosive to the very structure of the castle. The builders of Hogwarts never took into mind the fact that over time magic would corrupt the very structure of the castle, yet will take many years, even centuries for the castle to reach this state.***

"But why doesn't it change like the street did?"

 ***Because the destruction and abandonment of Hogwarts is an event written in the main timeline. It will happen no matter what.*** said Ayavan ***And nothing you can do will change it. But perhaps one day, the castle may be rebuilt, and cycle will begin anew.***

Despite all the information Ayavan was giving him, Harry still wanted to know the reason why that thing had brought him to this place. In all, it did not made much sense though. Nevertheless, Ayavan pressed him to move forward, and Harry did so, walking what again seemed to be hours, until he reached a place which he did not recognize.

* * *

**The Broken Spire, Future**

They were in what seemed to be an extremely high plateau, which seemed to be located in a tundra biome of sorts. In front of them was what seemed to be the remnants of a colossal tower. Bellow it were what seemed to be a few rivers, all of them converging on the tower. But instead of water, they had a strange blue glowing liquid.

 ***It is not surprising that you don't recognize this place.*** said Ayavan ***Although I believe that even if you had visited this location in the present, you would not be able to recognize it as it is now.***

Harry looked at the enormous structure. He guessed that is was once a tower of sorts, but it looked as if it had exploded from within, yet there was a blue light emanating from the middle, and the scattered remnants of the tower seemed to be floating, as if attempting to give shape to the structure which had been there once in all of its splendour.

"What is this place then?" he asked to the deity.

***This is, or at least was, the Tower of Dawn.***

"This…this is the Tower of Dawn?"

 ***The Tower of Dawn is a constant in time. The light you see coming from within it is nothing more than its very core, attempting to repair itself.*** explained the Shadowed Man ***It is a strange thing that would take a lot of time to explain though. But all I can say is that the tower is alive.***

"Alive in what sense?"

 ***In the sense that you and I are alive*** answered Ayavan ***The tower is a sentient thing, and much like the Shades, it hungers.***

"Why?"

 ***The Tower is a void in the veil that is reality.*** said Ayavan ***It is the core and the source of the wound that remained after the first ritual. And is has not fully healed yet. So it hungers for energy, so that it can return to its normal state.***

"A ritual that you caused." said Harry with scorn on his voice.

 ***Oh, do not attempt to judge me as if I was…evil.*** said Ayavan ***There is no such thing as good and evil Harry. They are artificial concepts created by mortals to dictate their lives and morality.***

There is no such thing as good and evil. That sentence reminded Harry of his confrontation with Quirrell-Voldemort over the Philosopher's Stone.

 ***Good and evil go against the very nature of a perennial Harry.*** explained Ayavan ***If a perennial was to be the personification of one of those things, then he or she would go mad for it.***

As much truth Ayavan said, Harry was starting to be irritated with the strange being.

"So that's why you brought me here!?" he asked "To show me this and to tell me those things?"

 ***Not just that.*** replied Ayavan ***There is something else you need to know.***

"What?"

A purple wave of energy appeared, and from it came Ayavan, taking the shape of a fully cloaked being. Harry could not see its face, but he knew that there was more in there than just robes.

" **As I said before, everything I do has a reason to."** said Ayavan **"No matter how absurd the reason may be."**

Ayavan turned around, facing the broken remnants of the Tower of Dawn.

" **This place is where reality was first broken into pieces. It was here that I was born, and it is here that I shall cease to be."** he said **"But because of what I truly am, I know that I should not exist. My very existence is a contradiction."**

"Why?" asked Harry.

Instead of answering immediately, Ayavan simply lowered the hood which covered his head. Harry had to take a step back. Despite Ayavan having his back turned to him, Harry could still see that his head was rotten, with parts of it showing the skull. But what shocked Harry the most was the hair which Ayavan had, and he recognized that hair perfectly.

"No…" he whispered.

" **This is my true form Harry"** said Ayavan **"All others are mere masks to hide what I truly am. And it is what the other perennials wanted to keep you from knowing."**

Ayavan then turned around, and Harry's eyes did not want to believe what they were seeing.

" **Your eyes do not lie, and neither do I."** said the deity **"If you take what you learned today, then you know why I have this appearance."**

"But…but that's impossible."

" **Oh, I know it is, and that's what makes us special."** stated Ayavan **"Do you see now why they wanted to keep you ignorant about the truth of this war?"**

And so everything that he though he knew came down crashing like the most fragile of porcelain.

" **And in the end Harry, you are destined to become me, and I am destined to become you."**

For in front of him was none other than the inchoate form of his future self.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Temporal Shades – Creatures which are the inchoate future selves of present time beings and (seemingly) only exist in the future. They seem to have an obsession with time energy, and will not stop in their attempts to consume it whenever it is available to them.
> 
> Ayavan – A Perennial-Temporal Shade created by the first ritual of the Tower of Dawn. He is none other than the incomplete form of Harry Potter's future self.


	20. The Tower Knows, the Tower Sees

* * *

"Normal Speech"

_"Thoughts"_

**"Foreign Language"**

_***Other Voice*** _

* * *

 " _As we left the space where Aernus was, instead of leaving though the space between light and darkness we went straight into the light, entering the Hills of Gladdening Radiance. As we entered, I found myself in a place which was rather uncomfortable. There were many hills around me, and the realm of the Light Bringer was pleasant to the sight, but there was something with it that made me feel exposed to something. (…) Julia did not spoke a word while we were in this realm of light, and when the two of us left it, I could only feel a strange relief._

_She then took us to its counterpart, the Eventide Copse, realm of Nox, the Cimmerian Sentinel. Unlike the realm of Athor, the Eventide Copse was filled with many breath-taking forests with enormous trees. There were small rivers with crystalline water, and the sounds of the forest created an atmosphere that I thought to be unsurpassed. Even the realm of Isis was not this magnificent. However, the skies were dark, and the only light came from the stars that were the body of Aernus"_

-"The Howling Halls" by Cyril Dunajski

* * *

_**Chapter 20 – The Tower Knows, the Tower Sees** _

**Tower of Dawn, Isles of the End of the World, Arctic Ocean**

One month had passed since the disappearance of the Emperor. The fact that the supreme ruler of the Empire had disappeared on British soil on his first day of school had been kept as a state secret by the imperial court, and while they managed to "avoid" a major diplomatic incident, the now "temporary" rulers of the empire were attempting to make sure that the disappearance of the emperor would not become public knowledge.

On the other hand, they had given control of the entire operation of the Tower of Dawn to the Wise One. With the strange man leading the reparation of the tower, the recovery of the ancient well sites was progressing rather quickly, and said progress pleased the Wise One very much.

Said man was now standing on one of the three minor towers that surrounded the Tower of Dawn itself, observing the enormous structure in front of him. It was a near miracle that when the Tower had been found, it was still intact. Yet even he, who had been alive during the last days of the Atlantean Empire became unaware of the location of the tower after the Great Cataclysm. But now, he was observing the tower, wondering when the preparations would finally be complete. If everything went according to plan, then the Tower and all the Well structures would be restored before the Time of the Saints, and so, it would be in All Saints' Eve that the ritual would be performed.

" **Lord Wise One!"**

The Wise One turned around, distracted from his thoughts by one of the restorers.

" **Yes?"**

" **We have received notice that the Wells in the Bermuda Triangle, the Himalayas and Taiwan have been activated."**

Now that was interesting. With the activation of those three wells, alongside the others which had been already activated would have increased the tower's potency in a severe scale.

" **Make sure that the other wells are discovered, repaired and activated according to the procedure." Ordered the Wise One "Also, make sure that everyone stands clear from the tower's structure. I shall be testing the tower's current power."**

" **It shall be done Lord Wise One."** said the human man.

As the man left, the Wise One vanished in a strange mist, only to reappear at the top of the tower. He floated towards the middle, where was engraved a triangle, which had been found in other high profile structures of the Atlantean Empire. And while some debated that it symbolized the union of the three major powers in creation, others thought that is was a representation of the Atlantean Triumvirate.

As he stood on the exact middle of the pinnacle of the tower, the Wise One's eyes glowed in a bright purple, and the darkness within his cloak disappeared, only to show what seemed to be a nebula filled with stars. The vary manifestation of his arms also showed the same nebula, and as he raised them, a purple orb appeared above them, almost as if it was a crystal ball.

* * *

  **The Well, St. Petersburg, Russia**

There was no one inside the Well Chamber, so the people were unable to see the event that would take place here. An event which had not happened in thousands, if not millions of years. The web patterns inside the well began to glow brightly, and wisps of light began to appear. Energy radiated from within the well, and soon enough, the entire well chamber was flooded with the strange energy generated by the well. The wisps of light began to concentrate themselves right above the well, creating what seemed to be an orb of immense energy. When the last wisp connected with the orb, it began to glow even more brightly than the wisps did before, and as the energy that flooded the chamber began to gather around the orb, it flew downwards at a frightening speed, taking the energy with it and shattering the patterns on the way, as it descended into the depths of the seemingly bottomless pit.

* * *

 Across the world, all the Well structures that had been activated suffered from the same event, with immense amounts of energy being gathered, and soon sent into the unknown depths of the wells. Unknown to many people, the wells were all directly connected to the Tower of Dawn, and in less than a minute all the energy that had been gathered was close to reaching its final destination.

* * *

**Tower of Dawn, Isles of the End of the World, Arctic Ocean**

The tower's engravings began to glow and emanate unrefined energy. The orb that the Wise One created started to be hit by bolts of energy coming from the floor of the tower's pinnacle. For a moment, the tower itself became surrounded in a bright light, which then exploded in a wave of energy. The energy did not affect any of the humans in the area, but where was once the cavern celling was now an open area, connecting the world above with the crater where the Tower of Dawn was.

The people looked upward, and began to see dark clouds gathering on the skies above, creating what seemed to be a vortex. The clouds began to expand beyond the isles, even beyond the Arctic sea at a frightening speed, until the entire planet was enveloped in the dark clouds.

The Wise One's orb began to glow even more, until it collapsed onto itself, and a beam of purple energy was shot from the Wise One's hands, heading straight into the eye of the storm. As he only saw as a mere mortal would see, the Wise One began to see the world in all of its entirety, as if the storm was nothing more than an extension of his vision.

***The tower's potential grows with every passing minute. Even without all of the wells properly repaired, the tower has enough power to envelop the entire world. This small world with so much promise, a world unaware of everything that happens within it.*** said the ominous voice of the Wise One ***To have the world at my fingertips is not something destined for me, but for him. I see as the collapsed tower brings us into an unending and timeless era, and I see as the mighty tower that defies the heavens brings us into the new age.***

***All of this, my Lord Emperor, all of this power is yours. But you have to learn. For without the truth, you are as meaningless as the mortals that bow to your every whim. But the truth is not enough for you.***

Around the world, people looked at the skies, observing the unnatural gathering of clouds, with scientists panicking for the unexplainable climate change.

***The Tower knows and the Tower sees. But you are the only one who sees the tower for what it truly is. The Tower can reveal much, but only fools think that they can plunder the Tower's secrets. But for you my Majesty, it is for you that the Tower shall be granted.*** he continued ***In the distant yet close realm where light does not shine, yet darkness does not obscure, you are the only one who can prevent us from such a possibility. But what can you, Aernus Incarnate, do when sealed away in a world that has not happened?***

Lightning began to emanate from the clouds, yet never striking the surface of the planet.

***When you see the world as I do, you will understand. When you are unburdened by the lies of the world, you shall be returned.***

But then, the clouds began to uncover the planet, until the only remnant of them was the vortex above the Tower of Dawn.

***So as the words of the Wise One,*** he said, with a voice not of one, but of many ***the third and last Harbinger of the Three Worlds.***

And as he ceased to speak, the vortex vanished, leaving the sky above the Arctic Ocean without any trace of what had just happened.

***For the Tower knows…***

* * *

**The Broken Spire, Future**

In a world where time was non-existent, Harry was completely unaware of the fact that by being in the future, he was right in the centre of what one could represent as a whirlpool. The empty centre was the future, while the swirling water around was both the past and the present. The revelation of the true nature of Ayavan had shaken him to his core, and the fact that he himself, or at least a manifestation of himself had been the one who had caused many of the unwanted things across his life, such as the death of his parents.

"Why?" he asked "Why did they need to die?"

" **Our parents?"** said Ayavan **"That's not something you have to ask me. While I ordered Voldemort to kill them, it was because if he did not then their death would have been worse. Their death was already written in the timeline, and I merely made it so that it would be the most painless."**

"And me?"

" **You were never my target." He explained "Voldemort's attempt at killing you was his own doing, and I had even ordered him for you to be untouched."**

"You should keep your pets on a tighter leash." snarled Harry.

Ayavan simply chuckled.

" **I should, shouldn't I?"** he said in an amused tone, before his voice became somewhat vicious **"But then that blasted Dumbledore had to interfere!"**

"What did he do?" asked Harry.

" **What do you think? He placed you with the Dursley family, when it had been mine and your parents' intention, in case they died had you been a minor, for you to be sent to the Roman Regency Council."**

"Really? Then why didn't you take me away from that house?" asked Harry.

" **Because I fell dormant after the events of that night."** revealed Ayavan **"I only awoke from my hibernation a few months ago, when I resumed my previous operations."**

"And Voldemort?"

" **The little abomination fears me."** said the Shadowed Man **"He had expected to be rid of me when I ceased to contact him, but imagine his surprise when I revealed myself to him again."**

"But does he still obey you?"

" **Unwillingly."** replied Ayavan **"But he obeys, and shall obey until his last breath, which, if I am not mistaken, will come sooner than he thinks."**

"Hold on, do the Death Eaters know that their master has one of his own?"

" **What do you think?"** replied his future self **"Of course not."**

Harry suddenly remembered something, and began to frantically look around.

"Why haven't any Temporal Shades appeared?"

" **This region is…toxic to them."** said Ayavan " **The power that emanates from the tattered remains of the Tower of Dawn is enough to vaporize any of the Shades that come close to it."**

"But you are also a Shade."

" **But I am also a Perennial, so I cannot die in any kind of way."** he said **"Think of it as my Perennial nature overwriting my other one."**

**There was a moment of silence, until Harry decided to speak.**

"What now then?"

" **Now…observe the Tower."** said Ayavan **"See not with your eyes, but with your true essence the Tower itself."**

"The Tower itself?"

" **As I said before, the tower is a living creature."** stated Ayavan **"It knows and it sees, beyond the mortal eye and mind, and reaches out into the divine and farther away, until it touches the very Aion itself."**

"But how I am supposed to look at it with my essence?"

" **Kneel before the tower, and close your eyes."**

Harry did so, despite somewhat reluctantly.

*Hear the silence of the Void, as it reaches out into the beyond. Hear the heartbeat of the Tower…listen to its fading sounds and draw them closer to you.*

With shallow breaths, Harry began to do as Ayavan said, the voice of the deity become mingled with the very fabric of the Future realm. He began to hear a faint heartbeat, not his, not Ayavan's, but the heartbeat from the Tower itself.

***As the heartbeat of the Tower becomes louder, yours must become one with it. And as you become one with it, you shall see it for what it truly is.***

With each passing moment, Harry' own heartbeat became equal to the one from the tower, until the two were in perfect harmony. And then, even without opening his eyes, he began to see the true Tower. And what a beautiful thing it was. Beyond the man-made structure and the ugliness of the tattered remains, the true Tower was a divine thing. The very nature of the Future had not affected it at all. Yet as he looked at the Tower, the Tower also looked at him, beyond the flesh and the bone, into his very essence.

***The Tower knows, and the Tower sees. And as you see the Tower for what it truly is, it also sees you for what you are.***

As Harry saw the Tower, he also saw it beyond the confines of linear time. In a strange way, the Tower had always existed, even before its physical structure had been built. And so, he saw into every single second of its existence.

***An in this distant realm where light does not shine, yet darkness does not obscure, you finally saw the truth of the Tower, and it saw the truth in you***

And as Harry finally opened his eyes, he at last realized had had been missing all this time, and yet what had been missing had been always with him, and as he looked into the Tower, it helped him to realize it.

"For the Tower knows…"

* * *

***…and the Tower sees.***


	21. The Fateful Choice

* * *

"Normal Speech"

_"Thoughts"_

**"Foreign Language"**

_***Other Voice*** _

* * *

 " _Of all the realms I have been in, the realm of Varuna, known to us as the Silent Palace is possible the most bland of them all. The place was purely organized, and there was no trace of any kind of chaos or disorganization on the place. Needless to say, it was the most boring of all the realms._

_But as Julia took me to its opposite, the Cloaked Dissonance, realm of Mitra, the contrast was clear. The place was chaotic. Enough that I am even unable to describe what it truly looked like. Even now as I write this, I am starting to feel an headache approaching."_

-"The Howling Halls" by Cyril Dunajski

* * *

  _ **Chapter 21 – The Fateful Choice** _

**The Broken Spire, Future**

Harry was no longer in the plateau overlooking the remnants of the Tower of Dawn, but he was standing at its very base. Or at least, in a platform close to its base, as the base of the tower was under the strange blue liquid. Yet in front of him was the tower's very entrance, an archway without any door. There were many engravings, most of them resembling veins, and they all emanated a blue colour, yet sometimes it became red for a few seconds.

"Have you ever heard of the tale of the Midgard Serpent" asked Ayavan.

"No I haven't." answered Harry "What's the Midgard Serpent?"

"It is said in Norse mythology, that encircling the world is a gigantic serpent called Jörmungandr. This serpent, is said to produce a poisonous substance known as eitr. Ironically, in Norse mythology, eitr is also the origin of all living things."

"What does that have to do with this?"

" **As all modern religions do, they take the majority of their myths from the remnants of the Atlantean religion and alter them to suit their own culture. The Norse myths are no different."** explained Ayavan **"The substance you see below you is eitr, but this case, despite still being a poisonous substance, it also what can be called the blood of Aernus."**

"That thing is the blood of Aernus?"

" **Well…blood is the most approximate term that I can give to it."** said Ayavan **"But it is a part of Aernus that became physical in this realm. It is like you, but a part of his very body."**

"Is there a reason for it to be here?" questioned Harry.

" **The eitr flows through the tower, and from there it also strengthens it."** said Ayavan **"I don't know much about it though. There is much about the Tower that eludes me."**

"What happens if someone touches it?"

" **As I said it is poisonous. To the point of even if you just touch it with the surface of the skin of your finger you have an immediate death."** said the Shadowed Man **"But if a corpse is kept in contact with eitr for a prolonged time, then…"**

"Then what?"

" **Well…let's just say that the eitr is rather predisposed to animate corpses and keep them as undead guardians of certain places."**

That was rather unexpected for Harry. But then that meant…

"But the archaeologists in the Arctic Sea reported that there was an enormous pool of eitr in the Tower's cavern!" he said, somewhat panicked "That means that there can be tons of undead guardians protecting the Tower of Dawn!"

" **Oh don't worry about that."** said Ayavan in an extremely dismissive tone **"There is a near bottomless hole under the tower, where the eitr eventually ends up going to. If any undead thing is created by the eitr in there, then it will be taken by the current and dragged down the hole."**

Another wave of purple energy appeared, and Ayavan materialized under the form of Nestor Dougal.

"Tell me Harry, what do you think that will happen when you preform the ritual?" he asked "That I will somehow be destroyed by its power? That somehow, Aernus will awake from his slumber? Or perhaps, something even more…catastrophic?"

That was a good question.

"I…I don't know…"

"Do you really want to destroy me?" asked Ayavan, his tone reflecting genuine curiosity "Are you perhaps in need of revenge?"

"W-What!?"

"Can you deny me?"

"Deny you!?"

"Yes." said Ayavan "Can you deny me?"

As he said those words, he morphed back into his true self, an half-rotten version of Harry himself.

"Or are you ready to accept me for what I am?" he asked "Are you ready, to accept the burden of countless deaths and tragedies that have struck reality itself?"

"Or are perhaps under the thought that you can deny me, and by doing so, ridding yourself from the responsibility that belongs to me…to us?"

Harry was stunned by the sudden dilemma. What Ayavan asked of him was…indescribable. Ayavan the extended one of his hands towards Harry.

"If you are disposed to accept me as yourself, then take my hand." he said "If not, then…turn away."

Harry looked at Ayavan's…no, his hand, and he then observed the face in front of him. There was no deceit, no secret malign. The face in front of him simply showed a calmness he had never seen before, and a serenity that seemed to be misplaced in his corpse-like Temporal Shade. Harry took shallow breaths, his hand shaking, as if struggling to decide as well. With reluctance, he slowly raised it, and even as he looked at Ayavan, his future manifestation continued with the same expression. The two hands were centimetres away from each other, and in a spark of courage, Harry grabbed Ayavan's hand.

"So has the Incarnate chosen."

And in a flash of light, Harry ceased to see, and he then knew no more. Yet before he drifted into unconsciousness, he heard one last whisper of Ayavan on his head.

"For this was the choice of the Second Harbinger of the Three Worlds."

* * *

  **The Great Void (Present Time)**

Breaching the bounds of linear time, a shockwave swept the entire Great Void, being felt by all that dwelled within it, mortal and immortal. The perennials knew what the shockwave had been, for it was a sign of the times to come.

A choice had been made, and said choice would have consequences that not even the Lords of Fate could predict. Consequences that would defy the very laws of time itself.

And if the Great War in Heaven was to end, it was only to become the harbinger of something even more terrible.

* * *

**Potter Manor, Hogsmeade, Scotland (U.K.)**

Returning to consciousness had been a rather quick thing for Harry. Despite the fact that he awoke sprawled on the floor of the manor's hall, the young Emperor quickly got himself up, and began to look around. He recognized the place, as this was Potter Manor, the house of his father's family. AS he settled into the living room, Harry remembered his "meeting" with Ayavan. Of all the things he had expected, he had not been ready for the revelation that his "enemy" was none other than his future self, or at least a manifestation of it.

However, Harry wondered where Ayavan now was. It seemed that he had not followed him back into the present, which meant that he had either remained in the future, or that he had travelled to another point in the timeline. Regardless, he was now able to rest for a while. The confrontation with the Temporal Shades had left him rather exhausted, and the extended meeting with Ayavan had not been relaxing either, except for that Tower part.

Harry quickly got up, and headed toward the gallery, as he entered it, he found that the portraits were still sleeping or in stasis. He went towards his mother's portrait, and looked at her still form. To her stern yet gentle gaze, a gaze that was rightfully placed in the eyes of an empress.

"Have I made the right choice?" he asked to no one in particular "I saw what the Tower showed me, and I know the truth in Ayavan's words…my words. And even then I still find myself conflicted with this whole mess. He said that your death was destined to happen, no matter what, so I can only wonder what you would say if you were here with me. Would you support my choice, or would you shun me for it? I suppose it doesn't matter now, but…"

He turned away from the portrait.

"To have the world at my fingertips…to have such power bestowed upon me…to be the keeper of this world, and to rule it as I desire…" he whispered "My destiny is entrapped within the claws of the Empire, but the claws of the Empire are my own. But with Ayavan…we are one, the present and the future."

He took a deep breath.

"No. I have decided." he stated with newly found resolve "I have accepted Ayavan, and with him, the burden of all his actions. My actions."

"I am Hadrian von Habsburg, Aernus Incarnate. But I am also Ayavan." said Harry "And he is me. And when the time comes, I shall be ready."

He turned to leave the room.

"When the times comes…there will be no Ayavan, no Harry Potter, or any other one."

And as he closed the door, he left the room in the same state as it had been before, a sleeping ground for the imitations of the formerly living.

"There shall be only me."


	22. The Spear

* * *

"Normal Speech"

_"Thoughts"_

**"Foreign Language"**

_***Other Voice*** _

_-Writing-_

* * *

" _Of all the realms I had visited until now, the most mysterious one had to be the Netherworld, realm of Mors. All humans and other animals go to this realm upon their death, excluding insects and creatures such as spiders. There were many underworlds within, one of them called Niflheim, an ocean filled with islands and many magnificent ruins. This afterlife was covered by a never ending mist, guiding the souls and protecting them as well._

_There were other afterlives, such as the mythical Asphodel Meadows and even Xibalba. The vast number of underworlds seemed to reflect the countless cultures and civilizations that had existed since the first universe, by I was unable to see its ruler. Perhaps, Mors appears only to those whose death is near?_

-"The Howling Halls" by Cyril Dunajski

* * *

_**Chapter 22 – The Spear** _

**The Great Void**

In the Void there is no such thing as sound, colour, light, dark…there is nothing. But the nothing is a waterless ocean, filled with countless islands, each with its own ruler, others adrift, mere fragments which dissipate over the eras, never to be seen again. Or perhaps those fragments never existed at all, and are mere illusions of a mortal mind.

There was once a void of pure nothingness, a domain of non-existence which turned on itself to create all that has existed, ceased to exist and shall exist.

The event of Ur-Creation. Nothing became something, and the something eventually gained shape.

But Ur-Creation did not just spawn the super-dimensional entities which gave shape and form to the unending void of existence. Amidst the creational matter, there was a whirlpool of infinite energy, all of it becoming even more condensed. The storm of energy frightened the Perennials, and so they did not even attempt to approach it. When the flow of energy became solid, it ceased to take the form of a whirlpool, and became that of a many-edged spear that pierced all parts of the Void itself.

When the Corrupter attempted to take the spear to himself, it spoke to him in words that defied the eternal silence in the eternal Void.

***You are not the First, not the Second, not the Third.*** it said ***If you attempt to take me, your demise shall be swift.***

The Corrupter merely laughed at it, defying the silence as well.

***I am Tau, the very corruption that gives truth and form to reality. You are a mere spear.***

The spear responded to the deity in a calm voice, never changing.

***I am that which knows and sees.*** said the spear ***You speak of truth, yet the truth is hidden to you.***

***Then where is it?*** asked Tau, intrigued by the spear.

***For you, nowhere.*** said the being, for you are not one of the three ***And to you, I shall speak no more.***

Defeated, Tau went away from the spear, and for a long time, the other perennials came, and attempted to take it for themselves, only to fail as the Corrupter did. But as time passed, only one did not spoke to the spear, deciding to keep his distance.

Wise and all-powerful Aernus, tired of seeing his brethren fail in their attempts to conquer the spear, moved to approach it. When he did so, it spoke to him as well.

***You are All.*** it said ***But You are not the First, not the Second, and not the Third.***

***But if I am All, how can I not be the others as well.***

***Because You are the All-in-One.*** responded the spear ***From You come the First, the Second and the Third, and from them You shall come as well.***

***Then can I claim you?*** asked Aernus.

***No, for You are not the three.*** said the Spear ***But the three are You, and You shall work though them.***

***Then how can I claim you?*** asked the deity.

***When the three are all united upon a single place, unbound by linear time and standing on the leaking wound of creation, shall the truth be revealed to You.***

***What is the truth you speak of?***

***The truth is all that one does not know and see without me.*** said the spear ***For I am that which pierces the very Void, reaching out into the unknown, touching the all-consuming and pure nothing.***

***And who are you?***

The spear ceased to be a spear, and took the form of an endless tower of solid energy.

***I am that which knows and sees.*** said the Tower ***I am that which towers above the immortal concepts and makes them meaningless as grains of sand in a bottomless ocean.***

Pressed by his desire to know the truth of the Tower, Aernus enveloped the Tower's very core with his own body, and so he fell asleep, only to awake in rare instances. But he would always fall asleep again, for as long as the Tower stood silent, the Sleeping God would always rest.

But these long gone events are mere relics of a lost past, yet they echoed across the eras.

And as the shockwave that had swept the entire Void was nothing compared to what would follow, for the truth of the Tower was the truth of all, and no matter what shape it took, the truth was always a most terrible thing.

Especially for those that don't wish to know it.

* * *

**Great Palace, Imperial District, Constantinople, Thrace**

Harry entered the throne room, surprising all those that were inside. But when they realized who had entered, their surprise became unbound shock, for after a month, their Emperor had returned. But those that were observant knew that the Emperor had a certain…difference since he had disappeared. They were sure that this was the Emperor, for the magic that was enveloping the palace would not allow any intruder of impersonator to infiltrate it.

All present knelt before the Emperor, their minds and bodies dedicated in worshipful reverence to the divine majesty of their monarch. And when the Emperor raised his right hand, and ordered those in front of him to allow him to pass. When there was no one blocking his way to the throne, and moved towards it, and when he sat, he continued to look at his court, before ordering them to rise. And they did so.

" **How long has it been?"** asked the Emperor.

" **At least a month Your Majesty."** answered one of the courtiers.

While Harry's expression did not change, inside he was in full shock and irritation.

" _That little bastard!"_ he thought _"How the hell did I even spent a month in the future? It was only there for a few hours…"_

" **Did something worth mentioning happened during my…absence?"**

" **The leader of the Acolytes of the Old God, the Wise One, has made much progress in the repair of the Tower of Dawn, Your Majesty."** said the Minister of History and Culture **"The structure itself is functional, but without enough power it produces no definite effect."**

" **I assume that you have been increasing the efforts in the restoration and recovery of the Well Chambers…"**

" **Of course Your Majesty."** responded the Minister **"A few more have been discovered during your absence."**

" **Good. Anything else?"**

" **The government of Britain has reported an increase of terrorist activity in their territory**." said a courtier "According to our agents, it appears that the group who calls themselves the Death Eaters have been targeting several locations around Britain, and stealing what the British government believes to be artefacts of great power from the age of the Celts."

" **Artefacts from Celts?"** questioned Harry **"I thought that the Empire had an arrangement with them."**

Unlike the modern revivals of the Celtic customs by the muggle, the majority of which had no actual connection to the what they regarded as ancient Celts, the Celtic tribes that lived in the Empire were direct continuations of the Celtic tribes that existed during the Classical age, and were now fully accustomed to the laws of the Empire, despite having their own religion, which itself was an offshoot of the perennial cults, yet not in full communion with the Aenean Church. Harry himself had to admit that he found surprising the fact that their…sexual tendencies and tradition had not changed much over time. When he had visited the chieftain of one of the most known tribes he had to give excuses to leave quickly, for he had arrived at what he presumed to be a…ritualistic period, and he quickly became uncomfortable. Nevertheless, the Empire and the Celtic tribes had made a pact regarding the ancient artefact created by the magical Celts, with the intention of safeguarding them from unwanted collectors.

" **It appears that our predecessors have failed in their task."** said one of the courtiers **"But we have dispatched agents of the Empire to deal with these terrorists, Your Majesty."**

" **They are all traitors to the Empire and their Emperor."** he stated **"Exterminate them with maximum prejudice."**

But Harry sensed that there was something more.

" **Anything else?"**

" **My Lord Emperor, there is something regarding the Empress Consort."** said the Protasekretis.

" **What has happened with Beatrice?"**

" **Empress Beatrice is with child."** said Francesca **"Tests have been made and they all confirmed that you are the child's father."**

At last, truly pleasant news for a change. Beatrice's pregnancy was unexpected at the moment, but considering that they had consummated the marriage, it was not surprising.

" **Has the gender been determined?"**

" **The child is a boy, Your Majesty."** answered Francesca.

Harry simply nodded, pleased with the news, and the fact the Roman Empire and the other two states would soon have an heir. But the Court was still observing their ruler, wondering where he had been for a month, without giving any warning.

* * *

Inside the Palace's library, Harry was taking notes on a blank book. He had to understand what exactly he had experienced in the Future. There was much that Ayavan had revealed, yet there were thing that did not make much sense.

Nevertheless, Harry's main topic was the Tower of Dawn.

* * *

  _-From what Ayavan told me, the Tower of Dawn is simply the physical shell of the Tower itself, a timeless entity which has existed even before Aernus slumbered for the first time. According to Isis, the Tower was created as a weapon against Ayavan, but since the Tower has existed even before Ayavan was created, then that has been proven to be at least partially false. For Tau and Isis to try to turn me against my future self is rather suspicious. Yet it seems that they are not working together. Instead, I suspect that the two are acting independently, and perhaps even unaware of the other's actions._

_Nevertheless, from what I gathered about the Tower, the path to achieve the truth may seem simple, but in reality it is not. It is said that the Tower knows and sees, therefore, for one to achieve the Truth of the Tower, they must not only know and see as the Tower does, but they must also know and see the truth of the Tower as well. While I have already seen the truth of the Tower, I don't know it yet._

_To know the Truth of the Tower, is to hold a spear that pierces all corners of reality, but leaving its wielder unharmed by it. From this line of though, I can say that reality itself is divided in at least two layers: the divine and the physical. Therefore, if one tries to wield the spear without achieving the truth, then the results would be disastrous. I suspect that while in the physical layer of reality, the Great Cataclysm was caused by sabotage, in the divine layer it may have been caused by an attempt at wielding the spear without having achieved the truth._

_When the Great Cataclysm happened, the Tower created a time-space rupture that reached out beyond the universe, shattering history itself and breaking the connection all the Perennials had with the universe. The number of theories about what happened next are many, even amongst the Perennials. One of the most debated theories is that of the Aion Reformation, where the collective spirit of eternity itself gathered all the shattered pieces of reality and made it whole once again, yet as it is obvious from a wound, reality would be scarred._

_However, all theories agree on one thing: that this rupture only lasted for three days, and there were certain changes in history. One of them being the fall of the Atlantean Empire, and the dawn of a new pre-historic age. It only be thousands of years later until physical remnants of the Atlantean civilization were rediscovered, and even today the capital of the Atlantean Empire has not yet been found, with many believing it was erased from existence.-_

* * *

 All this writing, and Harry only came to understand that there was too much that was still missing. The Temporal Mainframe was of no help, and there were no historical records from the Cataclysm and the creation of the Tower of Dawn. Another thing which bothered him was what Ayavan had said before he returned to the present. He had called him the Second Harbinger of the Three Worlds, a title which meant nothing to him at the moment. In his continuous research about the Tower, he had not even thought about what Ayavan had said. Perhaps the Mainframe knew something about it.

" **Mainframe?"**

" **What do you require, Your Majesty?"** asked the Intelligence.

" **Do you have any information regarding something called Harbinger of the Three Worlds?"**

" **The three Harbingers of the Three Worlds are known as legendary characters in Atlantean stories and mythology."** said the Intelligence **"Outside the mythical aspect of the term, the Harbingers are believed to be three versions of an Incarnation of Aernus, one from the past, one from the present, and one from the future."**

" _So that's why Ayavan called me the Second Harbinger." thought the monarch._

" **The title of First Harbinger of the Three Worlds was first used by Divine Sovereign Nergalcaios IX, and it became part of the full style of all Atlantean monarchs ever since."**

" **What was the full style?"** asked Harry.

" **Divine Sovereign of Atlantis and All Her Dominions, Lord of this World and All Others, Preserver of the Legacy of Amilanius, Keeper of the Key and First Harbinger of the Three Worlds."** answered the Intelligence.

" **Amilanius?"**

" **Bastard son of Nergal IV, founder of the Atlantean Empire and its first dynasty."**

" **If he was the founder of Atlantis then how was there a Nergal IV before him?"** questioned Harry.

" **Nergal IV was the penultimate ruler of the proto-Atlantean civilization, before its collapse and reorganization by Amilanius."**

Okay, he was now getting far away from the main topic.

" **In any case, what is the purpose of these Harbingers?"**

" **That is unknown."** said the Intelligence **"Further information regarding the Harbingers is restricted. Access denied."**

Access…denied? Oh no, that was not going to happen.

" **Give…me…access…now."** said Harry, rather irritated.

" **Information restricted."** said the Intelligence **"Access denied."**

" **I don't care if it is restricted."** snarled Harry **"I am your master, and you will obey me!"**

" **You command goes against previous instructions."**

" **Who gave you the instructions then!?"**

" **Unknown."** responded the Mainframe **"Records indicate that previous instructions came from the same source as the entity which overwrote our connection several weeks ago."**

" _The same source…the entity from weeks ago…"_

" **So, the Sacred Twelve have finally decided to act."** growled Harry **"And against me…What are they playing at!?"**

If the Sacred Twelve were so determined to stop him, then he would make sure that there was nothing on his way to prevent his own success.

" **So…Temporal Mainframe…if they succeeded in locking away information that you possess, then perhaps I will be able to reverse the process."**

" **I am the Intelligence."** said the Mainframe, its voice becoming less robotic and far more like that of a human **"You will not succeed in such action."**

" **Have you forgotten who I am?"** asked Harry **"You may be, as you call yourself, the Intelligence, but I beyond the flesh and bone of my body, I am one of the Great Ones."**

" **Alert! Threat detected!"** the voice of the Intelligence seemed to shift between that of a human and its original one **"You will desist."**

Harry opened his mind, and reached out into the Temporal Mainframe. There was much exterior interference in the Atlantean creation, and whatever the Perennials had done, it had been enough for the once loyal mainframe to turn against him. Ignoring the Intelligence's commands, Harry attacked the mainframe's mental core, and without any restraint he ripped out the information he needed, shattering the lock placed by the Perennials.

The shock of the attack was enough to deactivate the mainframe, and place it on hibernation. But it didn't matter to Harry, as he now knew exactly why the Sacred Twelve wished for him to be ignorant of the purpose of the three Harbingers.

* * *

_**Author's Note:** _

One quick note: unlike common day humans, Atlantean humans had a long lifespan. The common Atlantean could live up to seven hundred years.

**Amilanius –** The first ruler of Atlantis and founder of the Atlantean Empire. Born as the bastard son of Nergal IV, he rose to power after the collapse of the proto-Atlantean civilization, ruled at the time by his half-brother Protion I. He was succeeded by his son Nergal V.

**Nergal IV** – Son of Kaltaiha I and the penultimate ruler of the proto-Atlanteans. He was succeeded by his son Protion I.

**Nergalcaios IX** (translated as 'son of Nergal') – The penultimate member of the seventh dynasty to rule over the Atlantean Empire. The son of Nergal XII, he was the first to use the title of First Harbinger of the Three Worlds. He was succeeded by his son Uraias II. His half-brother Oiraps V would become the founder of the eight dynasty.


	23. Before the Storm

* * *

"Normal Speech"

_"Thoughts"_

**"Foreign Language"**

_***Other Voice*** _

_-Writing-_

* * *

" _The realm of Reshep, deity of war, was a battlefield, filled with mockeries of humans, locked in never ending battles. It was a gruesome place, and Reshep himself participated in the battles as a random factor, slaughtering all those on his path._

_(…)_

_In contrast, the realm of Dievas, deity of peace, was a simple cathedral-like place. It was calm, and devoid of any conflict, but unlike Reshep's Barren Battlefields, there was no sign of Dievas._

_(…)_

-"The Howling Halls" by Cyril Dunajski

* * *

_**Chapter 23 – Before the Storm** _

**Malfoy Manor, Wiltshire, England (U.K.)**

Voldemort had no idea why Ayavan had wanted him to collect those useless Celtic trinkets. For all value they could have, the things that the ancient muggles had created should be of no interest. At least that was what he thought. He wondered why the creature was making him waste time in collecting these items, when he should be planning on how to attain the prophecy. Even now, he was in a "meeting" with the Death Eaters he had sent on this task.

They were all inside a secret room of the manor, with Voldemort sitting on a throne-like chair, and the Death Eaters in front of him, almost as if they were a court.

"My Lord, I have recovered that which you required of me." said Lucius Malfoy, showing to his master the Celtic artefact.

"I suppose that you were not the only one that has succeeded, were you Lucius?" hissed the man.

Another Death Eater approached.

"I have also succeeded in this task my Lord." he said kneeling.

"I have as well, my Lord." said another Death Eater.

Ironic how they were useful in tasks as these, but as useless as a torch in the middle of a fire in tasks that he himself had devised.

"My Lord, may I inquire what is the purpose of these objects?" asked Lucius.

Before Voldemort could answer, or do anything else, the atmosphere inside the room changes drastically, and the self-proclaimed Dark Lord immediately knew what it was. In the middle of the room, a swirl of purple energy appeared, and as it became smaller, it took the form of a cloaked being, its body parts appearing as if they were made of the very night sky itself, with tiny stars and nebulas, giving the being a mystical appearance.

All the Death Eaters pointed their wands at the being, not just due to the shock caused by its sudden appearance, but because they thought that Voldemort would order them to do it.

_***Separated they have no purpose.***_ it said _ **"But united…they serve as a key. I see you have followed my instructions Voldemort***_

The Death Eaters looked amongst themselves, confused by the thing's words.

*Yes, I have." snarled Voldemort.

_***Watch your tongue mortal!***_ growled Ayavan, his tone suddenly shifting to something more calm, but equally threatening _***Or I might rip it out...***_

Some of those present gaped at the way the being spoke to their master. Other, on the other hand, realized that Voldemort had basically admitted that he was following orders from another source.

***Should I congratulate you?*** he asked, his tone being of curiosity, but reeking of mockery ***Or perhaps I should congratulate the little inbred beasts that follow your orders like dogs?***

While some were smart enough to not respond, there were a few that did not take the insult well.

"How dare you insult us!?" nearly shouted one of the Death Eaters, before pointing his wand at the cloaked being "Avada Kedavra!"

What happened next was something that none of those present would forget until their dying breath. Ayavan extended his hand, catching the green jet of light with it. The Death Eaters observed the being, waiting for it to fall dead.

Nothing happened.

All those present were paralysed, excluding Voldemort, already aware of Ayavan's nature, or at least of what he had been told. They had just witnessed someone being hit by the Killing Curse, and nothing happened.

_***That…was a severe mistake…***_ said Ayavan, before snapping his hand.

The Death Eater which had cast the curse suddenly felt as if he was being pulled upward by an invisible hook on his back. Lowering his arm, Ayavan looked firmly at the suspended Death Eater, and to the surprise of everyone, his body began to emit a dark reddish aura. A second later, a moss green aura began to emanate from the death eater's body, and red orbs of light appeared where Ayavan's eyes were supposed to be.

Tendrils of green energy began to manifest from the wizard's green aura, heading straight to Ayavan's purple aura. The others, even Voldemort, watched in horror as the Death Eater's body began to quickly wither away, until all that remained was a literal husk, empty inside, much like the old skin of a snake. An echo of what had once been, and never was. What had been once its face was now forever frozen in a scream that never came.

_***I admit, it has been a long time since I had a proper meal.*** _

"W-What did you do to him?" asked Voldemort, the dark wizard even shaken by the event.

_***I consumed his entire timeline. Past, present and future.***_ said the Shadowed One _***You only remember him because I wish it to be so. I want you to know the fate that awaits you if you ever attempt to cross or betray me. You and your followers, Voldemort.***_

Oh no, after this, all thought of attempting to turn against Ayavan had disappeared from his mind.

_***The mortal I consumed has been…replaced by the main timeline. The emptiness left by his consumed timeline now replaced by another, which curiously isn't loyal to you.*** _

Not intending on angering the deity further, Voldemort simply gulped and nodded.

_***Now…the pieces are broken, as they should be.***_ said Ayavan _***No doubt the work of those persistent Perennials…***_

"Lord Ayavan, what will you do with them?" asked Voldemort, furthering the shock on his followers by the way he had addressed the cloaked being.

_***Upon their union, the pieces shall form a key that will be used to unlock the last of the wells.***_ said the Shadowed One _***And Harry Potter will serve his purpose as well.***_

"Why exactly are you so fascinated with boy?" questioned Voldemort, honestly curious.

_***The boy, as you call him, is the mortal manifestation of one of the most powerful deities in all of creation.***_ stated Ayavan _***His role in my plan is of the uttermost importance, and neither you nor your followers are to touch him. Not even a single hair. I don't need to remind you what happens to those who cross me…***_

The threat was very clear.

_***In any case, allow me to introduce a good friend of mine.***_ he said _***One that will make sure that you act as I intend you to do so.***_

To Voldemort, the day could not get worse. Now he was going to be overseen by one of Ayavan's lackeys, and that certainly did no miracles to his own image amongst the Death Eaters.

Much as Ayavan appeared, another wave of energy materialized, this time of a blueish colour, until it took the shape of a teenager dressed in a rather strange set of ancient armour. He knelt before Ayavan, his head lowered as well.

"My Lord Ayavan."

The being motioned him to get up.

_***This is Aranth, an ancient, loyal and great general of the Protomachy who was unfortunately killed at the Battle of Alartas Pyrodia.***_ explained the deity _***I have, obviously, resurrected him.***_

"Proto…machy?" asked Voldemort.

_***The Protomachy, the Great War in Heaven, the Conflict of a Thousand Aeons, the Year Before Ragnarök…***_ said Ayavan _***The war was many names, but know that your little…campaign for pure-blood supremacy is nothing compared to the Great War. The War in Heaven transcends the mortal realm, it is fought beyond the layers of reality, transcending time and space. Light and darkness…evil and good…the meanings you mortals place on such words are meaningless in this war, and you are nothing but mere pawns to us. Puppets in a grand play which is nearly over.***_

"And Potter?"

_***The Emperor of the Romans is, even if unknown to him, the player that holds the most important pieces of a chess set.***_ stated Ayavan _***And when the time comes, I shall make sure that everything returns to the way it is supposed to be. But for now, I want you to release your incarcerated followers from Azkaban.***_

A wave of purple energy appeared, and began to swirl around Ayavan. And as the being disappeared, Voldemort heard one last command.

_***Make sure that you and your followers obey Aranth, or the consequences will be unpleasant.*** _

And as Ayavan finally disappeared from the room, taking the key pieces with him, Voldemort and the Death Eaters could only shiver at the unnerving smirk on Aranth's face.

* * *

**Hogwarts School, Hogsmeade, Scotland (U.K.)**

The majority of the members of the Order of the Phoenix and a few of their supporters were gathered in Headmistress McGonagall's office, all of them discussing Harry's strange disappearance. The fact that he had vanished the very day he had stepped foot on the school was rather alarming, and that he had been missing for a month was even more.

"Has there been any sightings of Mr. Potter?" asked Minerva.

All responded negatively.

"The possibility of You-Know-Who kidnapping him has already been excluded." said Shacklebolt.

Minerva sighed. Taking leadership of both Hogwarts and the Order after Dumbledore became a fugitive of the law was starting to reveal all of its downsides. Just then, the door of the office was opened, and all looked to see Snape entering, with a grim expression on his face.

"Severus, what happened?" asked Minerva "You look like you saw an unwanted ghost."

"It seems there is something more at work than what we thought." said the Potions teacher.

"What do you mean?"

"The Dark Lord called us for a meeting, but something interrupted it." he said.

"Something?" asked Minerva.

"It was a creature…I'm not sure of what it truly was, but it was called Ayavan."

"Strange name." said Tonks.

"I think I saw that name once…"mumbled Remus, who then began to search the shelves.

"What happened then?" pressed Minerva.

"From what the thing said, the Dark Lord serves it." Revealed Snape "And he did nothing to suggest otherwise."

"You-Know-Who serves another wizard?" asked Ron.

"No you idiot," snarled Snape "That thing was not a wizard, much less a human."

"What happened Severus?" questioned Minerva again, concerned about her college "You seem very disturbed."

"That thing, Ayavan…it consumed another Death Eater."

"What do you mean consumed?" asked Hestia "He ate him?"

"No, it was worse. He consumed the entire life of the Death Eater, his past, present and future." Revealed Snape "Only a husk remained when he was finished, and I can only remember it happening. I don't even remember the name of the Death Eater."

Those present were terrified at the prospect of such a being, and the fact that he was their opponent made it even more terrifying.

"Found it!"

All looked at Lupin, who had an open book on his hands, and a victorious look on his face.

"Found what?" asked Arthur.

"I knew that I had read about Ayavan before, and here is another copy of the book," he said showing its title, before beginning to read it.

* * *

_ Ayavan _

_Of all the deities of the new world, the one called Ayavan is perhaps the most mysterious and shadowed to us mortals. While in the western provinces of the Empire one can find the worship of the Sacred Twelve, as according to the Aenean Church, if one travels enough to the east, then they will notice a drastic change in the deities worshipped. I have before mentioned the contrast between Reshep and Belus, and the pattern does not change much with Ayavan and his counterpart, Aernus. The myth of Ayavan's creation claims that he was born when the first three original deities (them being the ones which embody corruption, time and death) sacrificed their very essences to create the ultimate being, one which would not be restricted by any boundaries created by reality or any other force. And so was born Ayavan, the perfect union of the first three forces created. Unlike the creation myth of the western Perennial cults, the three original deities did not survive the process, leaving Ayavan as the only deity alive for a short time, until the others were created when Ayavan revived the remains of the dead deities with new-born essences, creating the other eight._

_From this point, Ayavan becomes a deity whose very nature is decided by the culture which worships him. The majority of the eastern cults portray Ayavan as a great devourer, the one who will devour time itself to allow a new timeline to take the place of the old one. Alongside this role, he is also worshipped as the Embodiment of Casualty and Wisdom, serving as the reaction for any changes in the main timeline and correcting them if he wishes so, and being a great advisor to the eastern kings. In fact, Ayavan's very name can be roughly translated from both Atlantean and Proto-Indo-Persian as "Wise One", furthering the establishment of this deity as the embodiment and patron of wisdom._

_Other cultures portray him in a similar manner that we portray Aernus, as a benevolent creator whose true body serves as the universe, while his mind manifests itself as one of us. But from this rises a new problem, for unlike the other Perennials, Ayavan and Aernus (despite being in theory the same deity) have very clear differences that allow us to see them as separate entities. From this arises the question: are Ayavan and Aernus the same deity, were they once the same and became separated for some unknown reason, or are they simply two deities that have no relation to each other?_

* * *

"That's definitely the thing that the Dark Lord serves." said Severus.

To think that Voldemort was serving a deity such as this one…it was surreal in fact. But there was something that was nor right in here.

If Aernus and Ayavan were possibly the same being, wasn't Harry also supposed to be the mortal incarnation of the Sleeping God?

* * *

**Bronzalae Cava, Alentejo, Portugal**

The ancient city which once served as the capital of Atlantis stood silent beneath the ground, undiscovered by both the muggles and the wizards. But to Ayavan, who had spent many millennia observing the Atlantean civilization, he knew exactly where it was and how to enter it. The city had been preserved, almost as if it had been frozen in time since the Cataclysm, and it pleased Ayavan, for it was in a state that required no repairs.

He stood in Bronzalae Cava's Well Chamber, and taking on his true form, he held on his hand the restored key. He looked at the seal created by himself long ago, when he had sabotaged this very Well to cause the Cataclysm. Unfortunately form him, the key he had created had been lost to him, and with much work on his hands he had to use Riddle's followers to gather the shattered pieces of the key. No doubt the work of the Perennials. But now, with the kay back on his hands, he could break the seal, and activate the Well of Bronzalae Cava.

Willing it to happen, the key began to glow on his hands, and the seal reacted to it. Mere seconds later, both shattered as if they were glass, and with the seal broken, the Well began to reactivate, power once again flowing though it as if blood.

The last well had been activated.

* * *

_**Author's Note:** _

The final chapter is coming soon, but the First Harbinger has yet to be revealed…

A side note: my view of the Atlantean language is that it is very complex, even to modern day linguists. Only a few words were successfully translated, and even that took a long time to do, most of them associated with religious rites. That is why there is a rough translation of Ayavan's name.

**Ayavan (Indo-Persian deity) –** The Indo-Persian counterpart of Aernus. In eastern mythology, he serves as the embodiment of unity, casualty and wisdom, and as the bringer of a new age by devouring the previous one.

**Bronzalae Cava** (translated as "Bronzas's Spire") – An ancient city constructed during the reign of Bronzas IV (founder of the eight dynasty), and served as the capital of the Atlantean Empire during the eight, ninth and tenth dynasties. It is located in the region of Alentejo, close to the city of Évora and the village of Redondo. Much like other Atlantean cities, it was constructed deep underground.

**Aeneas** – There are a few theories about the origin of Aeneas. A several records state that he was a muggle Christian orthodox monk who lived during the 8th century. He was introduced to the wizarding world by his brother, and instead of seeing it as vile, the monk began to study it and its beliefs, eventually adopting them as his own and creating a new philosophy based on his original religion and the beliefs of the Greek wizards. A less common belief says that Aeneas was a powerful and wise wizard that received a vision directly from Aernus himself, and told him to become his prophet. Both historical records and the canon of the Aenean Orthodox Church support the muggle Aeneas version, with the church condemning all other theories as heresy. Regardless of his origin, it would only be in the 11th century that his philosophy would give rise to a new religion which would become the dominant one in the wizarding world. He is known to followers of the Aenean faith as either _Aeneas the Prophet_ or _Saint Aeneas_.

**Aranth –** A son of Pontus and a human mortal, therefore a human-perennial hybrid. He was one of Ayavan's most loyal and powerful generals during the Great War and won many battles in the mortal realm for his master. He was ultimately killed at Alartas Pyrodia (translated as "Sun's Pinnacle"), an ancient city of the Atlantean Empire which was destroyed during the battle.

**Concept of good and evil** – While humans have created over the generations the concepts of good and evil, there is no such a thing to the Perennials. The fact that there is no Perennial to embody good and another to embody evil means that the two are not real, and are mere fabrications of mortal kind. And if there was a Perennial of good and evil, they would be driven mad by it, for the two go against the very nature of a perennial, and they cannot understand such false concepts. To the divine order, this is an example of an artificial concept: one which exists, but has no hold over the fabric of reality as True Concepts do.


	24. The Sacred Triumvirate

* * *

"Normal Speech"

_"Thoughts"_

**"Foreign Language"**

_***Other Voice*** _

* * *

_** Chapter 24 – The Sacred Triumvirate   
** _

**Great Palace, Imperial District, Constantinople, Thrace**

Harry walked through the corridors of the palace, wandering the old building with nothing to do at the moment. The court was busy as always, but he was not required to be in their presence all the time. However, that did not meant that he was free from the court, as they usually needed his approval for certain things and so they searched for him a long time. He was rather good at hiding, even without using the invisibility cloak.

" **Your Majesty!"** said a voice.

Harry turned around, seeing that it was one of the imperial messengers.

" **Do you bring news?"** he asked.

" **Yes, Your Majesty."** replied the messenger **"A message from the Wise One."**

" **What does he want?"**

" **He wishes you to know that all the Wells have been repaired and are active."**

It was like a bolt of lightning had struck Harry's mind. All the wells had been repaired, the Tower of Dawn was restored, and he himself was ready to act. But he had to wait. The Ritual had to be done during the Allsaintstide, so that he could create a temporal resonance with the first ritual.

He only hoped that everything went according to plan, or there would be hell to pay.

* * *

**Shrieking Shack, Hogsmeade, Scotland (U.K.)**

Albus Dumbledore, former Headmaster of Hogwarts, former Chief Wizard of the Wizengamot and Supreme Mugwump of the International Confederation of Wizards was in total misery. He had not even suspected that Harry would somehow disrupt all of his plans regarding the boy himself, to the point where Albus had become a fugitive of the law, and not even he was capable of fleeing to ICW territories, as they were doing all possible to not anger the Imperial government, and they would deliver him to the Romans without batting an eyelash.

Harry was supposed to be the ideal Gryffindor, one who would sacrifice himself for the good of the Wizarding World, and his fortune would be then used to help the light families, such as the Weasleys and his own family. Harry was not supposed to become to become its ruler, and that position belonged to himself, Albus Dumbledore. He knew what was happening. It was the Horcrux that had taken over Harry, and Voldemort was now controlling the majority of the Wizarding World. If he could only show them the truth, but they would only execute him if they had the chance. The light was losing ground to the dark very quickly.

_***And that is why you shall always be the loser in this conflict.*** _

Dumbledore looked around, trying to find the source of the voice.

_***Don't bother trying to find me.***_ it said ***I'm not really here. In fact, I am nowhere.***

"What dark creature are you?" asked the former headmaster.

The voice simply chuckled.

***Dark…you call me dark, implying that you know what darkness truly is…*** the voice was very calm, too calm for Dumbledore's tastes _***Darkness and light…impure forces that sustain reality…and protect this feeble universe.***_

"W-who are you?"

_***My name is of no concern.***_ replied the voice _***But know that you have failed in all of my expectations.***_

"Your expectations? Explain yourself!"

The voice chuckled darkly.

_***You mortals are really an interesting bunch of creatures.***_ is said very amused _***It is a shame that you are corrupted.***_

Dumbledore had no idea of what the creature was talking about.

_***You and Ayavan had simple roles, while his was far more complex, he still failed in doing what I intended despite succeeding in what he wanted.***_ he said _***You on the other hand, failed before you even started.***_

Whatever it wanted, Dumbledore was sure that it would not end well for him.

_***Had the one you call Harry Potter died when Tom Riddle used the Killing Curse on him, I would have been reborn far more quickly than I am being now. But you machinations and those of Ayavan turned again yourselves, and ultimately against me!*** _

"What do you mean, reborn?"

_***It is a concept that even I struggle to understand.***_ it said _ ***Death itself is difficult for my kind to understand, but the concept of rebirth is even more.***_

The old man could not understand what was so difficult about death to understand.

_***My kind…we are immortal…eternal beings, Dumbledore.***_ the being seemed to be rather irritated _***And they succeeded in doing the impossible. They…killed…me!***_

The decaying building shook from the creature's rage and strange influence.

"Who killed you?"

_***The ones you mortals call the Sacred Twelve, who else!?***_ stated the ominous being, clearly enraged by now _***Or at least the majority of them. No matter now…for at least there is still a chance of attaining success…***_

Dumbledore felt as if there were a million eyes looking at him.

_***But you…you are no longer required. In fact, you merely are an obstacle to the Incarnate, and to me as well.***_ said the voice _***I won't allow any kind of interruptions to Ayavan's plan…to any plan that can bring forth my success. Even if I have to use the last remaining energy that I possess…the energy that supports this…dead consciousness of mine…***_

Dumbledore's eyes widened in shock and fear, and he felt his wand falling to the floor of the shack, right through his hand. And when he looked at it, he realized in utter horror that his body was quickly fading away.

_***Especially from you...Albus Dumbledore.*** _

* * *

**Hogwarts School, Hogsmeade, Scotland (U.K.)**

The majority of the students were shocked and sacred. Somehow, Azkaban prison had been assaulted, and all the Death Eaters that were imprisoned within managed to escape. The Daily Prophet made little references to Sirius's escape, but were smart enough to not implicate that he had anything to do with the current situation. The aurors were now investigating the escape, and were also attempting to discover the Death Eater's current hiding place. Little did they know that the escape was nothing more than just a…side objective of Ayavan's ultimate plan. But many days had passed, and the ritual was one day away.

Ayavan himself however, taking once again the shape of Nestor Dougal, sat on a bench in the entrance courtyard. He was eagerly waiting for the day to arrive, to finally be able to perform the ritual. But as he was distracted by these thoughts, he suddenly snapped out of them when he noticed a certain group of people approaching. He realized that with them was Luna Lovegood, the spawn of one of the Lords of Fate.

Narrowing his eyes, Nestor got up from the bench, and prepared himself for the eventual confrontation.

* * *

 

Several minutes earlier, Luna Lovegood had felt a strange presence around Hogwarts, one that she thought to be familiar, but also…hostile. It was…an emptiness…a void in time…much like a black hole that consumed all near it. There was no mistake, it could only be the Shadowed Man. But she also knew that he was the one behind Voldemort's actions, or at least most of them. And for such a great enemy to be right under their noses…it was frightening. How could have they been so blind? There was only one who she could speak to, and Luna was lucky because this exact person was entering the Great Hall.

"Ginny!"

The red-head looked at the blond girl.

"Luna? What's wrong?

"Have you ever heard of someone called Ayavan?"

That was not a question that Ginny was expecting.

"Erm…he is of the same species as your mother…right?"

"Somewhat." said the girl "But I know that you know more than that."

How Luna knew it was something that Ginny did not know, but there was no point in denying it.

"Snape said to us that You-Know-Who actually serves this Ayavan." admitted Ginny "You know anything about him?"

"I do." said Luna "But this is worse. I believe that Ayavan is now at Hogwarts."

Ginny's eyes widened.

"We have to go and see Professor McGonagall." said the youngest Weasley "She is the only one who can help us now."

-line break-

Minerva McGonagall was surprised. She had never been a religious person, so to know that there were actual deities was somewhat…surreal to her. But to know that one and more of her students were the offspring of these deities was far more shocking. And most of those inside the room shared the same sentiment.

"Tell us Miss Lovegood, what exactly do you know about this…Ayavan." asked the Headmistress.

"From what my mother told me, he was the one who influenced You-Know-Who's life from his very childhood, turning him into what he is now, and indirectly caused his first campaign. She also told me that he was the one who ordered the deaths of Harry's parents." revealed Luna in her calm and dreamy tone "But he was also the one who cause the first war in all of reality, a war that had not ended yet."

"And you say that he is here at Hogwarts?" asked Remus.

"There is an emptiness here." she said "One that clearly belongs to the Shadowed Man."

"Shadowed Man?"

"It is one of the titles we give to Ayavan." she explained "But he is here…I can feel him."

"Where exactly is he?" questioned Minerva "Where in Hogwarts is he hiding?"

"I think that he is hiding under our noses." she said.

"Remember what was in the book?" asked Hermione "It said that Ayavan normally appeared as a mortal human, so perhaps that is how he is currently hiding."

"But I can feel his presence…it leads me to him…" said Luna.

"Then where is he?" asked Snape "Who is he?"

"This strange aura comes from…the courtyard below us."

"Then let's go." Said Sirius "We have no time to lose."

* * *

Nestor and Luna's eyes locked in a silent confrontation, until Luna decided to speak.

"I should have felt your presence that day, when Harry disappeared."

Nestor simply smirked, while the others were shocked by the fact that it was him who was Ayavan. The powers of the Shadowed Man were enough to alter the minds of mere mortals just by his presence, and so he was not surprised that of this group only Luna was unaffected.

"That day was just the first of the final phases that will lead to my final objective."

"You were the one that ordered Lily and James's deaths!?" shouted Sirius enraged.

"Oh, do shut up Sirius." said Nestor in a dismissive tone "Don't speak of that which you don't have knowledge of."

"We now know who you are." said Hermione "We can stop you."

Nestor simply chuckled.

"I am not Voldemort, Hermione." said Nestor "I'm not a wizard you can defeat with a spell. I am far beyond your reach."

He then looked at Snape.

"I am sure that your…spy can assure you of that."

Snape had to suppress a shiver, as he remembered the events at Malfoy Manor.

"In any case, I find it good that you are all here."

"And why is that?" asked Moody, suspicious of the hidden intents of Ayavan.

"Do you know what day is tomorrow?"

"It's Halloween." responded Minerva.

"I don't like that name." scowled Nestor "It's too associated with the blasphemous muggle festivities. I prefer the designation of All Saints' Eve."

"What about it anyway?" asked Ron.

"Counting from tomorrow, it will be 4.6 million years since the Fall of Atlantis."

"That's impossible." said Hermione.

"And why is that?"

"Because Atlantis did not exist and 4 million years ago there were no human civilizations."

"Oh…how I hate the ignorance of muggleborn wizards…" mumbled Nestor "What you believe is of no consequence, little girl. What matters here is that tomorrow, the very cracks in reality that were caused by the Great Cataclysm that destroyed Atlantis will be at their weakest state."

"So?" questioned Minerva.

Nestor chuckled.

"I don't want to spoil it…but I think that you will enjoy the lights." said Nestor "Or perhaps not…"

Nestor's eyes glowed brightly, and some of those in the group were enveloped in a bright light, until they disappeared.

"What have you done!?" demanded Minerva, while those that remained, Vance, Moody, Arthur, Ron and Molly pointed their wands at Nestor.

"I placed them in stasis until tomorrow." he said "I want them to be at the front seats of the…show."

Vance and Moody both used the stunning spell, but even as they collided with Nestor, the magic had no effect on him.

"Nice try. But that doesn't work on me." he said "I do believe that you will have a good view of the show as well."

And before they could do anything else, Nestor himself disappeared in a flash of light.

* * *

**Tower of Dawn, Isles of the End of the World, Arctic Sea**

One day had passed, and Harry stood at the pinnacle of the Tower…observing the surrounding crater. He wondered how a simple test had vaporized the cavern ceiling, but it was of no consequence. He stood there in full Imperial attire, making sure that he was not mistaken by anyone else. That itself did not even made sense to him, as all personnel involved in the Tower's reparation had been evacuated from the Isles. But the time had now come.

"This is it…" he whispered to himself.

Harry moved to one of the three daises, all of them forming a triangle with a clear space in its interior. He rose to the dais, and closed his eyes. The small platform began to glow with a red colour, and the engravings around the triangle began to glow as well with the same colour.

Harry began to speak, his words directed at the Tower of Dawn itself.

"Aernabal, suyavah yev Handatar Belios! Arctanos yev egniye Belios dzennii agni paravanae!"

An incantation in Atlantean, a language lost to the ages, but mother to all those that followed. And as he spoke them, the engraving began to shift between blue and read, at the rhythm of a heartbeat.

* * *

Near the base of the tower, on a suspended platform, Ayavan appeared, covered in a cloak, and with him, also appeared the others which he had placed in stasis.

"W-Where are we?" asked Ginny, somewhat stunned.

"This is the Tower of Dawn." Answered Ayavan "And the ritual has already begun."

"Ritual?" asked Sirius "What ritual?"

Ayavan raised one hand.

"Hold it." he said "There are other on the way."

" _Others?"_ wondered Harry's godfather.

A flash of light appeared close to them, and when the light disappeared, the immediate reaction of those brought by Ayavan was to point their wands at the newcomers.

"Voldemort?" questioned Remus "Why is he here?"

"I could make the same question, mutt." hissed the dark wizard.

With him were not only Lucius Malfoy, but also the recently freed Bellatrix Lestrange, Fenrir Greyback, Antonin Dolohov, and other masked Death Eaters.

"My Lord, what is this?" whispered Bellatrix "Were you the one that brought us here?"

"No Bellatrix, he was not the one that brought you here." answered a new voice.

A bluish wave of energy appeared, and from it materialized the owner of the voice.

"Aranth, good of you to join us." said Ayavan "I see you have done your part."

"I have my Lord Ayavan." he said bowing "Nothing that I couldn't handle."

" _He is another hybrid!"_ thought Luna.

"Indeed." responded the deity before turning to the others "Now that you are all here, it is time to…how is it that you mortals say…cut off loose ends?"

"What do you mean?" asked Luna.

"For millennia I have manipulated the tides of history, bending it to my desires." he said "Events in history have happened because I so wished. The Punic Wars, the War of the Eight Princes, the fall of the Western Roman Empire, the Islamic Expansion, the Hundred Years War…the first and second World Wars…eventually reaching Grindelwald's uprising and also what you little fools call the First Wizarding War, a name that itself is a lie."

"A lie?" asked Hermione.

"It was not a war, and it was most certainly not the first war in the wizarding world." said Ayavan "You British wizards like to focus too much on your own country, ignoring the outside world. It irritates me."

Voldemort flinched, as he knew exactly the kind of things Ayavan did when irritated.

"As I was saying…my actions led to Voldemort's first campaign…and he was the perfect tool for my goals."

"I am not a tool!" snarled Voldemort.

"You always were, from the moment of your birth, to the moment of your oncoming death." stated the cloaked figure "Do you think that you would be here today if not for me? Do you think that the power you possess is truly yours?"

"W-what?" stammered Riddle.

"If not for me, you would be nothing more than what you wizards call a squib. And a pathetic one at best." said the deity "Your mother was only a witch because she was lucky. However, that trait was not passed down to you. At least naturally."

All the wizards gaped at the shocking words, and those that were more stunned by the claim were Voldemort's own followers. However, it was Bellatrix Lestrange who in her madness saw the words of the deity as lies and profanities against her lord, and pointed her wand at the cloaked figure.

"Avada Kedavra!"

A jet of green light flew towards Ayavan, who simply caught it with his hand, before releasing a blast of purpleish energy towards the mad witch. Paralysed by the fact that the Killing Curse had no effect on the strange being, Bellatrix was caught in the wave of energy, and she was obliterated on the spot. Everyone took a step back, afraid of the display of power that the cloaked being had shown, but also due to the fact that he had just killed Voldemort's most powerful Death Eater.

"Do you see now, how powerless you all are against me?" he asked "Against the power of a perennial?"

Ayavan took a few steps back.

"Anyway, I think that it is time for the…big reveal."

All, except Aranth looked confused at Ayavan, who proceeded to lower his hood. Upon seeing who was under the cloak, they either gaped of became paralyzed in shock and horror. A rotten version of Harry's body, as if he had been dead for a while.

"H-Harry?" stammered Sirius.

"Yes and no…at least not yet."

But it was Voldemort who was more shocked than the others.

"Y-You…you are Potter?" he said "But how…i-if you are Potter then why did you even order the death of your own parents?"

"Their deaths were already written in the timeline." He explained "Had you not killed them, then they would have died by some other reason."

"But how can you be Potter?" asked Snape.

"The one you call Harry Potter…I am his future self." said Ayavan "As you perhaps know, or not, I was created during the Great Cataclysm. From there, I travelled in time and began the Protomachy with one single purpose."

"To create yourself." said Luna.

"Not just that." he said "I am a Temporal Shade. A…ghost or manifestation of one's future. As other Temporal Shades do, I eliminate and manipulate personal timelines in order to make sure that my own becomes the dominant one."

"What do you mean?" asked Lucius.

"What Lord Ayavan means," said Aranth "is that he wants to unite with his present self. To become whole and to finally end this travesty."

"But to do it I had to make sure that my present self went through the path I intended." He said "But…there are still threats to him."

The last sentence being directed at Voldemort, and the dark wizard took a step back.

"And said threats are…to be…exterminated."

Ayavan raised his right hand, and snapped his finger. Whatever he had done, it had caused Voldemort to feel an extreme amount of pain.

"W-What i-is t-this?" said the dark wizard forcing himself to speak because of the pain.

"That is you body attempting to adjust itself with the lack of…magic." answered Ayavan.

"W-What!?" hissed Voldemort.

Ayavan simply looked at Voldemort with a curious expression, while the others attempted to get far away from his as possible.

"I wonder how long your body will be able to live on its own, without the magic that sustained it." said the Lord of the Never-Was "Not just because it was created with magic…but also because after spending years using It and becoming truly dependant on it…no wizard would be able to remain alive after having it stripped away."

Voldemort began to shake uncontrollably.

"W-What is h-h-happening t-to m-m-me?"

"You are dying." responded Ayavan "As you should have years ago."

"I c-cannot d-die." hissed the former wizard "I-I a-am immortal. I c-created h-horcru…"

"Horcruxes? Do you really think that they will be able to sustain themselves to a magicless master?" asked Ayavan "The moment you ceased to have any magic on your body, they all but ceased to be. The objects are still there, but the fragments within have faded away."

The sensation was horrendous, and Riddle began to feel his very bones threatening to break.

"And so falls the Dark Lord Voldemort." stated Ayavan in a mocking way "Hopefully the last stain in the history of the British wizarding world."

Tom Riddle's very body began to dissolve into dust, the man never being able to scream. At the exact moment of his death, all the marked Death Eaters, felt a stinging pain on their left arm, only for it to stop a second later.

Ayavan then looked at the remaining Death Eaters, and waved his hand, sending a blast similar to the one he had sent at Bellatrix towards them, annihilating them as well.

"I would suggest, Severus Snape, that you choose your allegiances well in the future." he said.

The man could only gulp and nod. All of them were nervous, scared, shocked…many emotions were flowing through their heads, but the fact that Voldemort was finally dead had not escaped them.

"Now…all of you…make yourselves comfortable." said Ayavan as he was engulfed by wave of purple energy "The show is about to begin."

And as Ayavan vanished in the purple swirl of energy, they felt the ground starting to rumble, and turned immediately to the Tower.

* * *

**The Broken Spire, Future**

Ayavan relinquished all of his other forms, taking his true one. He looked at himself, his body no longer the corpse it had been since his creation. And as he approached the tattered remains of the Broken Spire he could feel himself becoming even more complete. But the emptiness was still there, and as long as that emptiness existed, he would never be whole. Yet he knew that the time for the final union was quickly approaching.

He stood at the pinnacle of the Tower, shattered as well, but stable enough so that he could do his part. He went to one of the daises, and as soon as he was on top of it, he closed his eyes. Even broken, the Tower of Dawn's engravings began to glow red, and its exposed core became red as well.

"Aernabal, suyavah yev Handatar Belios! Arctanos yev egniye Belios dzennii agni paravanae!"

As much as it was happening in the present, the red engravings began to shift to blue and back, following a heartbeat rhythm, and the core of the Tower did as well. Ayavan opened his eyes, and looked at the two empty daises, as they began to glow as well.

* * *

**Tower of Dawn, Isles of the End of the World, Arctic Sea**

Harry watched as the other daises began to glow brightly, wisps of light emanating from them until one figure appeared in each. The first one was…blurry, and he could not understand who it was. But the second was someone he knew well.

"Ayavan?" questioned Harry "You are one of the Harbingers?"

_***Are you that surprised?***_ asked the manifestation of his future self _***The three Harbingers represent the past, present and future of Aernus. Therefore, as I am currently the final iteration of the current Incarnate, the mantle of Third Harbinger falls down to me.***_

"It seems like you know much about the Sleeping One."

_***Oh, I did not spent all the years since my creation sleeping around or doing nothing.***_ said Ayavan _***I dedicated myself to the research about our true self. A research that eventually led me to the creation of a cult dedicated to the worship of the Sleeping God.***_

"A cult dedicated to the Sleeping God…?" wondered Harry, before his eyes widened in realization "You are the Wise One!?"

_***Had you done yourself a little research, you would have discovered that the translation of Ayavan from either Atlantean or Proto-Indo-Persian is 'Wise One'.***_ he said _***I admit that I am not exactly creative, but it seems that my…other identity was rather well chosen.***_

"Sneaky bastard…"mumbled Harry "Hold on! They told me that the Wise One was in the present repairing the tower while you were with me in the future."

***The one with you in the future was my past self.*** explained Ayavan ***When I first appeared before you as the Wise One, I had already taken you to the future.***

"Oh…" said Harry before looking at the blurry form in the other dais "Who is that?"

_***As I am sure you know, we are currently inside a temporal resonance. Right now, the Tower does not exist within the confines of linear time. Past, present and future are meaningless here.*** _

"So?"

_***It might be a poor choice of words, but at this very moment, with the first ritual being made in resonance with this one, the other Harbinger which manifests here is the one from the past.***_ said Ayavan _***The First Harbinger, or at least a manifestation of an amalgamation of all the Atlantean monarchs, which takes the role of the First Harbinger.***_

"Is it alive?" asked Harry.

_***Not exactly. It more of an echo than a sentient and living being.***_ said the Shadowed One _***Imagine the concept of a Temporal Shade, but reversed.***_

That was most likely not the best of explanations, but it was of no matter.

"We should be focusing on the ritual." said Harry.

*Indeed.* agreed Ayavan *I assume you know the next procedure.*

Harry nodded, and turned towards the middle, much like Ayavan and the First Harbinger. The three knelt, and closing their eyes, they extended their right hand forward before beginning the second phase of the ritual.

"Balyev slavdanye vlastoriae Aernoi, mozhet Rassvet logiat akloksi, evmenoips denai jeednu Taverdai!"

* * *

Across the world, the Well Chambers began to activate, and generate a near-infinite amount of energy. Once more, the web patterns inside the wells began to glow brightly, and wisps of light began to appear from them. Said wisps gathered in each well to form orbs of immense energy, this time even more potent. When the wisps were all gathered in the orbs, they all flew downwards at an enormous speed, this time not shattering the patterns, but increasing their strength.

* * *

The Tower of Dawn began to glow brightly, the very engravings emanating unrefined energy, which was then reabsorbed by the Tower itself. Above the tower, dark clouds gathers, creating a vortex above it. The clouds began to expand beyond the Arctic once again, this time at a slower rate.

* * *

**Hogwarts School, Hogsmeade, Scotland (U.K.)**

The majority of the students, the staff and the ghosts gathered outside the castle, observing the dark clouds that had gathered across the sky. They were accompanied by blue lightning that seemed to be transported from cloud to cloud, never touching the planet's surface. Never had such occurrence happened, and even the inhabitants of Hogwarts knew that it was not a natural phenomenon. And as they looked up, they saw as the clouds expanded towards the south.

* * *

The storm quickly expanded across the planet, covering it in dark clouds. If one was to look at Earth from outer space, then they would probably mistake it for something akin to a gas planet. Moments later, at the very eye of the storm, blue energy began to spread out in the form of lightning, creating web patterns around the planet. All the lines connected with each other until they converged on the South Pole. The energy web began to glow even more, until new bolts of energy shot out from the web at a frightening speed, dividing themselves randomly. In mere minutes, the beams of energy surpassed the trillions, most heading towards the other celestial bodies, while the others headed to the "borders" of the universe. Eventually, in few minutes, every single celestial body was covered in webs similar to the one on Earth, this magnificent spectacle hidden from the inhabitants of Earth.

However, this was just the beginning.

* * *

Those that were outside Hogwarts began to feel the Earth shake and watched as the waters of the Black Lake became unstable. What seemed to be a strange occurrence became a complete nightmare, as a bolt of energy shot out from the skies, and it impacted onto the lake. Ripples of energy spread out from the impact centre, propagating themselves across the valley and the mountains around the school. Where the bold had hit, a crack appeared, and soon it began to expand, becoming a ravine of energy on the water itself. The earthquake became far more violent, and those that were close to the castle started to run towards where once stood the Forbidden Forest. Amongst those that had escaped were Professor McGonagall, and she and the others could only look in utter horror as the entire cliff where castle of Hogwarts was collapsed, with people still inside, and began to fall into the time-space rift.

* * *

**Constantinople, Thrace**

What was supposed to be a normal day for the people of Constantinople became a nightmare as well. People watched as the cavern celling was pierced by what seemed to be a bolt of lightning from the surface, and as the energy bolt struck near the Golden Gate. Ripples of energy propagated across the city, and only some saw as the Pillars of Atlas lost their enchantments, and as cracks appeared on them. An earthquake assaulted the city, and more cracks began to appear on the pillars, and soon enough, they began to break under the pressure. People watched in indescribable horror as not only the ceiling of the cavern but also the muggle city above began to descend towards them.

* * *

And then…time shattered.

* * *

_ **Author's Note:** _

As I said, the final chapter of this story is coming soon, and it will be the next one.

Here are the translations:

(First phase of the ritual)

" **Aernabal, suyavah yev egniye Handatar Belios!" -** "By Aernus, acknowledge the noble [and] Divine Sovereign."

" **Arctanos yev egniye Belios dzennii agni paravanae!" –** Grant the noble Lord [your] awakening and passage!"

(Activation of the wells)

" **Balyev slavdanye vlastoriae Aernoi, mozhet Rassvet logiat akloksi, evmenoips denai jeednu Taverdai!"** – "By the eternal power of Aernus, may [the] Tower hear our words, [and be] blessed from those who pierce [the] Earth!"


	25. The Truth of the Tower

* * *

"Normal Speech"

_"Thoughts"_

**"Foreign Language"**

_***Other Voice*** _

* * *

_**Chapter 25 – The Truth of the Tower** _

**The Tower**

The Earth was ravaged.

Reality was broken.

Time was shattered.

But the Tower remained, and so did those who sought its power.

"What happened?" asked Harry.

"It think that we have entered the final phase of the ritual." presumed Ayavan.

"But why is everything…frozen?" questioned Harry looking at the sky "The clouds aren't moving, there is no sound…"

"I…I don't know." admitted Ayavan "During the first ritual something similar happened, but it was different. It was not like this. This is new for me."

For some reason the First Harbinger was still on its dais, unmoving and awaiting for something.

"What now then?" wondered Harry "We can't just stay here!"

But whatever Ayavan would answer never came, as a new voice joined the conversation.

_***The link has been broken…*** _

Both Harry and Ayavan looked around, trying to find the source of the voice.

_***…once more…reality has been damaged.***_ it said _***The web of time has been…ripped apart…but as time has shattered…it does not flow…the final effects of the destruction of its…link to reality itself never taking place…***_

"Who are you?" asked Harry.

_***I am…that which knows and sees.***_ it answered _***A boundless fragment of Ur-Creation…a Tower which dwarfs all…a Spear that pierces everything…***_

"You…you are the Tower of Dawn." whispered Ayavan in awe.

_***The Tower of Dawn is but the structure…I am the true Tower…unchained by physical boundaries…***_ said the Tower _***And you…you are the First, the Second…and the Third.***_

Harry assumed that it was talking about their role as the Harbingers.

_***You…manifestations of the One who slumbers around us…do you seek the Truth?*** _

"The truth…?" wondered Harry, wanting to know what exactly was the Truth, despite having his own theories.

_***The Truth is all that one does not know and see without me.***_ it said _***To know it and see it, is to take upon yourself the strings of creation…to command what is…was…and shall be.***_

"So if we know the Truth, then we can change reality?" questioned Ayavan.

_***Change it…reforge it…destroy it…***_ said the voice _***The choice would be yours…***_

Harry looked at Ayavan, and the Temporal Shade nodded in acknowledgement, knowing exactly what Harry was thinking.

"Then how to we achieve the Truth?" asked Harry.

_***You cannot achieve the truth…without being complete yourself.***_ it said _***The three, must become One.***_

" _How is that supposed to happen?"_ thought Harry.

"Harry."

Said teenager looked at Ayavan.

"I guess this is it." said Ayavan "My final moments as an independent entity."

"W-What?"

"I am your Temporal Shade. You know that eventually, the Temporal Shade which succeeds in being in greater control of the future point of one's timeline unites with its present self." explained Ayavan "That time has come for me."

"But…what about everything you represent?" asked Harry "What about the Acolytes?"

"The Acolytes shall remain as they always were. Their devotion to Aernus remains the same, and with me 'gone', you must take upon yourself to appoint a new High Priest." he said in a calm tone "And what I represent…"

Ayavan sighed.

"I am you Harry. Beneath all these names and masks, that is who I am." he said "But I am also Ayavan. I spent so many eras in this role…that I also became one with it."

A blue aura began to appear around Ayavan, and the last rotten parts of his body became normal, Ayavan's appearance becoming that of Harry.

"And now…in the end…I return to where I came from…* he whispered *At last…*

Ayavan was engulfed by the blue aura, and streams of energy began to head towards Harry, which were then absorbed by his own body.

It was a strange feeling, a warmth that had been absent for a long time. A warmth that his very timeline had been longing for, much like a gift.

The manifestation of the First Harbinger was engulfed by another aura, which was also absorbed by Harry's body. This time, is was not warmth he felt, but a feeling of strange nostalgia. As if he had been reunited with something he had lost a long time ago.

_***Three have become One…you are now ready to stand atop the Tower…to wield the Spear…*** _

There was a strange shift in the atmosphere, and despite all that had happened, Harry felt that there was only one thing that he could do.

"In performing the ritual, reality has been broken once more." he said "But this time, the pieces are visible…and they can be reached…and from them…I can mould them to my will, and restore what was lost."

There was another shift in the atmosphere, and then, a blinding light that engulfed everything.

* * *

To wield the Spear, is to hold absolute control over reality itself. One could create and destroy, damage and repair.

Harry's decision was felt across the restored boundaries of time. Not just reality had been repaired, but the timeline itself as well. The cracks had not been closed, for they had never existed. They were a characteristic of reality during the period between the two rituals, and now, with the restoration of the original timeline, they were removed. But the timeline had already been written, and many events could not be changed. The Fall of Atlantis was one of them, and Harry's ascension as the Roman Emperor was another.

But as in less than a second, when time began to flow anew, did those that were at the base of the Tower of Dawn witness something no other mortal ever had.

* * *

**Tower of Dawn, Isles of the End of the World, Arctic Sea**

It was like a breeze had passed through them, and for some reason, the skies were clear again.

"What has Potter done now?" wondered Snape out loud.

"It feels like…something changed." said Luna.

"Indeed." agreed Aranth "I think that…Lord Ayavan has succeeded."

All eyes turned to him.

"Succeeded in what?" asked Ginny.

"In completing the ritual, what else?"

"But what was the purpose of the ritual?" asked Sirius.

"I'm not sure myself." he admitted "But Lord Ayavan told me that it required the presence of three incarnations of Aernus, each from a different time zone."

As his sentence ended, a sound was heard across the world.

Two beats, one right after the other, and it did not stop.

"Is that…a heartbeat?" said Hermione.

"I…I think it is." replied Luna.

The engravings of the Tower of Dawn were in perfect harmony with the heartbeat, shifting back and forth between blue and red. Streams of energy emanated from the tower, heading towards the platform where they Luna and the others were, until they all converged in an orb of light. They all felt an enormous pressure, as if the air had become heavier around them, and only Luna and Aranth knew what it was.

A shape appeared within the orb. It had the appearance of a brown haired teenager, his eyes of a purple colour. His appearance was somewhat similar to Harry's, but there were many other differences, and he was wearing what seemed to be a mixture of Harry's Imperial Regalia and the regalia of the old Atlantean sovereigns, and on his right hand was an ethereal spear.

"Who is that?" asked Remus.

It was the being who answered.

_***I am the All-in-One, the Sleeper, the Dreamer…* he said *I am Aernus awakened.*** _

Luna and Aranth immediately knelt before the deity.

_***Rise.***_ he ordered _***There is no need for such a thing.***_

"Lord Aernus, how can You be here?* asked Ayavan "If You are awakened shouldn't the universe be destroyed?"

_***My consciousness is awakened.***_ answered Aernus _***But my minds still sleeps. It was the Tower who awoke me, but it is a temporary thing.***_

"Temporary?" questioned Luna.

_***Soon, my consciousness shall return to sleep, and I shall return in the shape of the one you call Hadrian.*** _

"Harry? What happened to him?"

_***In uniting with both the First Harbinger and the Third, he effectively became the new master of the Tower, and used it to restore reality as it was if the Great Cataclysm had not happened.***_ explained the primordial deity _***In doing so, he also caused my awakening, and as long as I am awake, he shall sleep. But in restoring reality, time was also reforged. Many events could not be changed, so there won't be much of a difference.***_

"But Lord Ayavan was created with the Great Cataclysm." said Aranth "If it never happened, then how could the ritual have happened?"

_***It is difficult to explain, but the events that occurred in those three days, despite no longer being the source of the Cataclysm, are still part of the shattering of time and reality.***_ said Aernus _***They are unreachable to us, and their events still happened.***_

"So…basically nothing changed." said Luna.

_***Oh, do not be fooled, daughter of the Oracle.***_ said the deity _***Many things have changed, some for the best, others for the worse. Even for someone of your hybrid nature, the true sight of reality is difficult to grasp. Even now, with the veil standing still, the threads of fate are trembling.***_

Aranth's eyes widened at the last sentence.

"Lord Ayavan said that as well once." he revealed "He said that when he realized that there was something other than him moving in the shadows of the Void."

Aernus nodded.

_***There is a place beyond the Howling Halls. It is something forgotten…lost to time. A tomb.*** _

Aranth knew what Aernus was mentioning.

"The Graveyard."

_***Yes.***_ confirmed the embodiment of unity.

"What's the Graveyard?" asked Ginny.

_***One of the three great spheres of reality, the other two being the Howling Halls and the Aion.***_ explained Aernus _***It is the final resting place of all realms, even those created by my own brethren, their personal realms.***_

"There are very few who know of its existence." said Aranth "Lord Ayavan told me that it was guarded by a Nameless One known as the Gatekeeper, but it is also inhabited by another Perennial."

_***The one you speak of is another Nameless One.***_ revealed Aernus _***He is known to us as the Watcher. Nevertheless, before I first slumbered, the Graveyard was originally used as a tomb for…one of us.***_

"I thought Perennials were immortal." said Sirius.

_***And we are. And that is where the problem originates.***_ said Aernus _***Long ago, before the first of the Eternals was born, there was one of us which represented all that we feared. It was the Twelfth One, its real name having been cast from time itself.***_

"What did he represent?" asked Hermione, still somewhat stunned by the existence of an actual deity.

_***The very existence of reality came from the corruption of nothingness. Therefore, the first being to exist in all of creation was Tau, the embodiment of corruption. The Twelfth One is the exact opposite of Tau, for it is the embodiment of purity.*** _

"Erm…isn't purity a good thing?" asked Ginny.

_***Not in the way you mortals see it. Tau represents the corrupted nature of creation itself, but he is also that corrupted nature itself. And all that exists in reality is corrupted. Nothing is pure. For something to be pure, then it cannot exist, not even its concept.*** _

"Then the purity is non-existence." presumed Snape.

_***In its extreme form. It does not have to exist only in a physical form. The moment something is thought of, it ceases to be pure, for it exists in the mind of someone.***_ explained the Sacred One _***That is why we feared it, for its very existence made it want to eliminate creation itself. Ironically, the Twelfth One was born from Tau, and Tau only.***_

Aranth began to remember something.

"This…Twelfth One…I think that the Aenean Church worships him as one of the Sacred Twelve." He said "I think they call him Perses."

_***A word of the Atlanteans, translating into your language as 'the Pure One'.***_ said Aernus _***But in great fear, the rest of us joined, and we somehow killed the Twelfth One. Its very essence was shattered, and we entombed its remains on the Graveyard, beyond the gate…***_

"But if it is dead, then how can it be moving?" asked Ginny.

_***The concept of death is strange to us. It was first felt by the Twelfth One, but you mortal are the ones who feel it in its entirety. For you it is a freedom, for you become free from my dream, despite your shell being left behind. But we cannot feel mortality as you do. We are immortal, and so we cannot die. I don't know if you can understand this, but while we killed the Twelfth One, it did not die. Not truly at least.*** _

"What exactly happened to it?" asked Aranth.

_***As I said, its essence was shattered, most of its pieces claimed by the Howling Halls, while the fate of the others is mostly unknown to me. The essence of a perennial is not just what you humans would call a soul, but it is also the very thing it represents, so when its essence was shattered, the very concept of purity was shattered as well.*** _

"Shattered, but not destroyed." said Aranth.

_***Indeed. Its pieces may still be roaming the Howling Halls or perhaps they are somewhere else. Yet they are mere pieces, nothing more.***_ said Aernus _***But I fear that the Incarnate will not rest for a while. There is still much to be done.***_

Aernus turned to Aranth.

_***Aranth, I hope that your loyalty to the Ayavan has passed over to his present self now.*** _

"Lord Aernus?"

_***The union of both Hadrian and Ayavan was not temporary. The future has become the present, and now both the Incarnate and I are truly free from the strings of fate.*** _

"The Incarnate and Ayavan are one." said Aranth "My loyalty to him, to You, is eternal."

_***I suspect that he will need your help for the days to come. But now, I must return to my slumber. My full presence here for a long time can be damaging.*** _

Both Aranth and Luna gave a small bow before the deity, and both Aernus and the orb of light vanished in a bright flash. When the flash ended, a wave of purple energy appeared, and Harry materialized from it. On his right hand was a black spear with red engravings, and the head of the spear was a bluish crystal, faintly glowing.

"Harry!" exclaimed Ginny and Hermione.

The young teenager seemed to be somewhat stunned.

"What the...? Why are you all here? Why am I here? I was supposed to be up there." He said pointing at the pinnacle of the Tower of Dawn.

"Erm…you somehow managed to awake Aernus, and by doing that you apparently went into some sort of hibernation." said Ginny "We are here because Ayavan brought us here."

"Ayavan...oh I remember that!" said Harry, Ayavan's memories being his own now.

He then looked at the only one he did not know before.

"Aranth, right?" he asked *I think I recognize you from Ayavan's memories.*

The memories were there, but they were still settling in.

"Yes, Lord Ayavan." he said.

Harry was somewhat taken aback by being called Ayavan, but he shrugged it off. He was Ayavan after all.

"And think we should leave this place for now." said Harry, before looking at the weapon on his hand.

" _The Spear…"_ he thought, before slashing the air with it, opening a portal to Hogwarts.

"Go on, I think it is best if you go to a familiar place."

"What about you Harry?" asked Sirius.

"I have other things to do." he answered "But you cannot be part of it. Go then, I will close the portal when you are there. We will speak when the opportunity comes."

They nodded, and entered the portal, heading onto Hogwarts. Using the spear, Harry closed the portal, and then he looked at Aranth.

"Aranth, you served my other self for a long time, but where does your loyalty lie now?"

Aranth knelt before him.

"My loyalty lies with you, Lord Ayavan."

Harry sighed.

"You do realize that I will not be the same Ayavan that you knew. There will be some similarities, but I won't be the same as he was."

"There are no true differences between you and your other self." said Aranth "He had to adapt to the situations that he lived through, but beneath all that, he was just like you. You simply witnessed his final days, when he was about to achieve his true goals, and so he could not let anything slip by."

Harry gave a small smile.

"Well then…tell me what happened when Aernus appeared."

Aranth revealed to Harry what Aernus had told them, and Harry grew somewhat concerned over it.

"So this…Twelfth One may be causing trouble to us."

"It seems that he will cause trouble if left unchecked."

Harry groaned.

" _Why do the dead always cause trouble?"_ he thought bitterly.

But now, he at least had a new goal, and so did Aranth.

"Well Aranth…it seems we have work to do."

And the last sound the two heard before departing from the Arctic Sea, were the heartbeats of the tower.

* * *

_The End_

* * *

_ **Author's Note:** _

And so this was the final chapter of " _King of Kings, Ruling Over Rulers"_. I hoped that you have liked the rewritten version of the story, and if you did, then go and read the sequel, which is already posted.

By the way, the damage caused to the world in the last chapter was all undone.


End file.
